Blackbird
by jadetiger27
Summary: This is a twin fic. Tsuna is the older brother of Ieyoshi. He really isn't surprised when his stronger, better brother is picked to be the Vongola Boss instead of him. After all, no one expected Vongola to handle a weak, petite, mute. But Vongola is going to, from the most unlikeliest of things.
1. Chapter 1

HEY GUYS I'M BACK

long story, finals, sickness, vacation, more sick, LOST PRETTY MUCH ALL OF MY WRITING, then much sadness and nihilism, then school, but still no writing and now i'm back because i found out some asshole deleted my story. i'm going to be updating soon, but the story is all going up tonight.

however, the chapters might be different from how they were before.

fortunately, for me though...i...may have saved the email of every review i've ever received?

heh

heh

i know it's super creepy but hey, i still have all of my reviews!

Song: Blackbird by the beatles

XXXX

_Just another day in paradise_.

That was what Reborn thought grimly as he took care of the house of assassins. He was able to gun them down in a moment. It was almost too easy.

He was never quite sure what to think. He enjoyed getting rid of traitors to Vongola. He enjoyed killing disgusting people like those who resided in the house he was leaving. He enjoyed relieving his stress. But he didn't enjoy taking lives. That was why he could never be sure if his previous statement was sarcastic, or with some truth. Because really, he loved his job. He cleaned his Leon gun as he left, closing the door behind him, and taking out his cell phone to call in.

_"Reborn?" _The voice on the other line asked.

"The job is finished-,"

_"Nono needs your help._" Reborn's mouth promptly closed. Vongola was far more important than him finishing the job. The voice took this as a sign to go on. _"He needs you to go to Japan….something about training a boy. Please report back to Vongola HQ for more information." _

"Understood." He hung up, a demonic smirk spreading across his face. He had been suspecting that he would train the candidate for Vongola Decimo for a long time, whether it be Nono's own sons, or anyone else. He was, after all, the world's best hitman.

XXXX

Tsuna really couldn't bring himself to blame them.

Once again, he had been left behind to clean up the area after school. They had practically thrown the broom at him, yelled, "Thanks Dame-Tsuna!" and run off. It was downright rude, and perhaps even seeming a little cruel, when you realized that this happened constantly. But Tsuna didn't hold a grudge against them. It wasn't that he was too forgiving; when he was mad, believe him, he knew how to hold a grudge like no other. But after years of simply being…empty, things had become much more clear. Being mean or disregarding Dame-Tsuna was normal. Everyone did it. No one cared. Few felt sympathy. He was just Dame-Tsuna. Everyone else did it, so why not them?

That was why he wasn't holding a grudge. The kids who had ditched him on the field were usually the bystanders. They never outright targeted him. They never outright tried to harm him. They didn't trip him in class; just sat back and laughed with everyone else when someone did. They didn't push him down in the halls and kick away his things while he tried to pick them up; they just walked past, hardly sparing him a glance.

It wasn't cruel, it was just…cold.

But he had lost the game in gym, so he figured they had some merit in leaving him to clean up. He wasn't just naively blaming himself; he really had lost them the game. So he could handle the consequences of his flopping all over the field and practically handling the other team the ball. Honestly. He'd tripped and it rolled to his opponent's feet.

And maybe he was just a teensy bit glad that no one had tried to stay behind and help. People always wanted to make conversation. And that wasn't something Tsuna did. He didn't even talk. Not even to his mother, brother, or teachers when they called on him to answer a question. So the interaction with any co-cleaner would have been extremely awkward.

After he finished up, it was well past afterschool. He headed out the front gates, head low, headphones in. He glanced up at the rooftop when he was leaving, to see Hibari at the top. Hibari stood still for a moment, before turning and leaving the roof. Unlike most students, Tsuna had been in situations around Hibari often enough for them to create some sort of mutual understanding. If Tsuna was afterschool, then Hibari trusted him not to loiter, or do anything he wasn't supposed to. It wasn't trust fall-worthy, but it was a lot more than most others got. Somehow, because of Tsuna's lack of "useless herbivore blabbering", he had managed to make the very selective list of Slightly More Tolerable Herbivores. It was a very short list.

When Tsuna finally opened the front door to his house, driven by mother's intuition, Nana poked her head out of the kitchen, saying,

"Tsu-kun, are you home?" She spotted her son, who nodded back, before removing his shoes. There was a loud, derisive snort from the kitchen.

"Oi, Dame-Tsuna's home? I thought Hibari-san had eaten him!" Ieyoshi, Tsuna's brother laughed, hard. "Maybe he should have!" A small frown found its way to Nana's face.

"Iey-kun, don't say things like that." Tsuna shrugged and touched his mother's shoulder comfortingly, before heading up to his room. It wasn't the worst thing his brother had said. He shut out the barking laughter from his brother in the kitchen.

Tsuna and Ieyoshi were twins; fraternal, however. People always mistook them for identical at the first glance, because they looked similar. However, once you looked at them a little longer, you realize Ieyoshi was much taller and built stronger. He was still skinny and lanky, but he had the body structure that said, one day, he could turn into a tall, broad-shouldered man. Sleek brown hair didn't stick up as much as Tsuna's, and brown eyes were deeper set than Tsuna's.

Tsuna, on the other hand, was petite, with no promise of a beefy young man one day. Ieyoshi had always been a little arrogant and greedy, so Nana liked to say that he stole it all from Tsuna in the womb. Tsuna's hair was fluffy and gravity-defying, a few shades difference between their hair color. Finally, Tsuna's eyes were a lighter shade, closer to a sort of gold hue.

Their only similarities were their bad grades; Ieyoshi because he had a superiority complex and refused to acknowledge that his teachers were ever going to be able to teach him anything useful and failed out of sheer willpower, Tsuna, because he had lost all faith in the educational system and couldn't communicate with questions when he didn't understand something. If not for the events to come, no one would have ever guessed that Tsuna was actually much smarter than his brother when it came to academics. No one ever thought about it- because Dame-Tsuna just failed at everything he tried, right?

He set his things on his bed, and just as he was opening his backpack, he heard Ieyoshi's voice downstairs;

"Mom, what's this flyer?" Nana's absent minded voice rang in the house.

"Oh, just a flyer for a new home tutor! It says that he'll make your children the leader of the next generation! Isn't that nice, Iey-kun?" Ieyoshi's condescending tone could be heard from downstairs.

"Yeah, certainly sounds nice to be scammed out of half of your life savings."

"Iey-kun, don't be so judgemental of other people! He could be a perfectly nice man, with the goal of truly turning you into the leader of the next generation. It's not nice to be so skeptical of someone you've never met." Usually, Tsuna had to agree with Nana on almost everything. But oddly enough, he found himself taking his brother's side on this one. It smelled like a scam. A flyer? Really? It didn't inspire any trust in Tsuna, or it wouldn't, regularly. But he had a strange gut feeling that his mother should call the home tutor.

"Whatever, just say you didn't call." Dead silence. It Tsuna had decided to suddenly make any noise, he would have laughed. "Mom? You didn't _call_, did you?" Ieyoshi's voice had suddenly become very, very cold, and any urge to laugh was immediately purged from Tsuna.

"I-I thought it would be nice…" Came their mother's nervous reply.

"Mom! Don't be so naïve!" Ieyoshi exploded, but less vehemently than he could have. Tsuna was relieved. Ieyoshi was being "playfully reprimanding". It could have been much, much worse. Nana let out a girlish giggle, but Tsuna could hear the plain relief in her voice. She had a hard time confronting her sons; she was a soft spoken woman to begin with, and she loved her boys too dearly to ever speak a word against them. But Tsuna couldn't help but think that raising her voice at them every once in a while would have done their family a great deal of good.

"Mama's sorry, Ieyoshi, but I couldn't just let an opportunity like this slip away! Besides, if it's a scam, we'll just send him away. But why don't we at least try?" There was an unmistakable tone of pleading in her voice. Ieyoshi snorted, like his mother was a foolish child who he would humor out of the goodness of his own heart.

"Fine, but if you ask me, Dame-Tsuna needs more work than I do." Tsuna didn't even flinch. Not anymore. _Fine, but if you ask me, Ieyoshi-baka needs more work than I do. _He mimicked in his head immaturely. _Especially since he has an ego the size of Mount Fuji. _He was silent; not emotionless. (AN; he's a person, not a rock. Not speaking takes a lot of effort as is, denying himself of all emotion means he's essentially a puppet on a string. Consider yourself forewarned; he shall be snide).

In an hour, after Tsuna came downstairs to find that Nana had forgotten to yell to him about dinner and Ieyoshi had eaten every last crumb of the share that was meant for Tsuna, the doorbell rang. Tsuna didn't say anything, but went to move up. Ieyoshi said loudly,

"Get it, Dame-Tsuna." _I was already going to get it. You don't have to make a point of it. _Tsuna got up from his chair, which he hadn't really been using anyways, according to Ieyoshi, and opened the door. It was probably the home tutor, he decided.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting as he opened the door, but what he found was nowhere on the spectrum of probability.

It was a baby. In an Italian suit, with a fedora, and a green chameleon sitting on the brim of his hat. The child didn't even come up to his knee, yet his outfit probably cost more than everything in Tsuna's room put together.  
"Ciaossu." The baby greeted him. "My name is Reborn. I'm the home tutor." Tsuna couldn't help but wonder why he felt a strange chill down his spine at those words. Not like he was in danger; the feeling was nothing like that. It was like meeting the spawn of Satan, as he told you that he was here to collect the soul of your beloved pet. Disturbing and intriguing, but no immediate threat.

IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

Tsuna couldn't help but wonder why he felt the warning bells going off in his head. It was like he knew that somewhere, among all the alternate universes, some poor bastard like him was meeting Reborn for the first time.

A sharp kick caught him in the head, and his forehead slammed against the table.

"Ow!" He shouted. "Reborn…" He whined, as he turned his head to see the baby hitman, who had his Leon gun pointed at him.

"Do it with your dying will." After an extremely uncomfortable resurrection, a wayward shout of, "REBORN! I WILL FINISH MY MATH HOMEWORK WITH MY DYING WILL!" and wearing down the led on eight pencils, Tsuna had his math homework finished. He breathed heavily over his paper. Before he could look at it clearly himself, Reborn, snatched it up and inspected it.

"Good speed, Dame-Tsuna. But they're all wrong." Tsuna wailed and slammed his face on his table as Reborn began to pull out the TNT, muttering something about returning to the "traditional methods".

BACK IN OUR UNIVERSE

Tsuna blinked at the baby in front of him for a moment, before silently opened the door wider and gestured for Reborn to come inside. Reborn toddled past him, asking,

"You're the older twin, Tsunayoshi, right?" Tsuna nodded and led him to the kitchen. When he came in, no one noticed him, so he knocked on the wall to gain their attention. Nana set the dishes she was washing down, and turned around. Ieyoshi barely flicked his eyes up.

"Oh, Tsu-kun, what's a baby doing here." He did his best to communicate with his eyes. _He's the home tutor._ _I don't think he's really a baby._ Nana didn't seem to get the clear message, but she understood that Tsuna meant, _he's not what he seems. _She crouched down to look at Reborn. "Are you lost, little boy?"

"I'm the home tutor." Reborn said bluntly. "I'm here for Ieyoshi." Nana blinked at him, but must have sensed that he wasn't what he seemed in the same way Tsuna did. She nodded.

"Iey-kun? The home tutor is here." Ieyoshi scoffed.

"There's no way that's the home tutor, Mom! It's a little baby! Honestly, what the hell could it teach me?!" Ieyoshi demanded. Clearly, Tsuna had inherited _all _of his mother's intuition.

In the next moment, Ieyoshi was nailed in the head by Reborn's foot, and knocked off his chair, unconscious. Reborn turned to Tsuna still with that cutesy smile on his face.

"Do you have a problem also?" Tsuna held up his hands, and raised an eyebrow at Reborn, who tilted his fedora over his eyes, grinning. He started to drag Ieyoshi up the stairs, with strength no baby should have. Tsuna followed warily. His brother could be a jackass, but Tsuna felt like Reborn was dangerous. And he still loved his brother, so there was no way he was going to let Reborn harm him anymore than he had to. As he clambered up the stairs after them, he heard Nana downstairs;

"Oh! Iey-kun must have taken a nap! So nice of that tutor to bring him upstairs." Tsuna felt his mouth twitch in amusement. He followed Reborn to Ieyoshi's room, who soon came to. Ieyoshi sat down, arms crossed, and glaring at the figure that had just knocked him out.

"Alright, kid. What do you want with me?"

"Don't call me kid. I'm a hitman. I'm really here to train you to be a mafia boss." Reborn informed them, without so much a change in expression. Ieyoshi reacted violently, falling back, arms flailing, while Tsuna sat quietly off to the side, letting the information sink in.

"Don't say such outrageous things, kid!" Ieyoshi demanded. Suddenly, there was a gun in Reborn's hand and it was pointed at Ieyoshi's head. Unfortunately, for both of them, just as Reborn had been taking the gun out, Tsuna had sensed that something was wrong. By the time it was pointed at Ieyoshi's head (a second later) Tsuna was in between them. The cold metal touched his forehead it was so close. Reborn's expression didn't change, but for someone like Tsuna, who constantly observed body language and subtle expressions, he saw the surprise flicker in Reborn's eyes.

"Please move." Reborn said simply. "It's not you that I want to shoot." Tsuna shook his head, not willing to leave his spot. "I'm here to train Ieyoshi as a mafia boss. I can show you his relation to the mafia and everything on a family tree."

A fist connected with the side of his head, and lights exploded in front of his eyes as he hit the ground.

"The kid said to move, you better move, Dame-Tsuna!" Ieyoshi exclaimed. Tsuna's head still hurt, but he managed to turn it to see the greedy look in Ieyoshi's eyes. That was why he had forced Tsuna out of the way. If there was a small chance he could really be a mafia boss, then he wanted it. Otherwise, he would have cowered pathetically behind his brother.

A gun pressed against Ieyoshi's forehead.

"Treat your elders with respect." Reborn informed him, in the same cutesy child voice, but with a hint of rage that Ieyoshi sure as hell didn't detect. Ieyoshi snorted.

"He's Dame-Tsuna. Why should I?" As Tsuna sat up, he made brief eye contact with Reborn and gave a slight shake of his head. Reborn seemed to get the message. He was relatively unhappy about it, though his demeanor didn't show it.

XXXX

Twenty minutes later, after family trees and pictures of Nono's sons getting killed, Reborn was finished. Ieyoshi's eyes glittered.

"I can really be a mafia boss?"

"You'll be _the _mafia boss." Reborn corrected. "Of the strongest mafia family in the world." Reborn had been watching Ieyoshi's expression change as he talked. Reborn knew it was probably too early to judge him, but he couldn't get rid of that feeling in his gut that Vongola would be better off with the other twin as its boss. Normally, he would have listened to that feeling. But it was so ridiculous right now that he couldn't.

Tsuna was small and petite, with none of the promise of the well-built young man Ieyoshi could be. His grades were low. He was clumsy. He was shy. He probably couldn't hurt a fly. He got bullied constantly, by his younger brother too. And he was _mute_. There was no way he could ever be a mafia boss. He knew it. Nono knew it. Iemitsu knew it. Hell, Tsuna himself probably knew it.

But Reborn did _not _want to train Ieyoshi.

Then again, there was that small hint. Tsuna was mute. But why? People didn't just _stop talking._ And there was the reason why he was wary to train Ieyoshi, in a nutshell.

But Reborn could work with dame. He'd turned Dino into a satisfactory mafia boss, and Dino may have possibly been worse off than Tsuna, when it came to dame-ness. But Reborn couldn't always work with arrogance and greed. But he had to try.

"Tsuna, I need to get straight to work with Ieyoshi, can you please leave us?" Tsuna looked warily between them, and made eye contact with Reborn. For someone who didn't speak, Reborn found that he was surprisingly adept at communicating. His eyes clearly said, _You won't hurt him, will you?_ "Not critically, or permanently." Reborn promised. Tsuna looked unhappy about leaving, but he did it all the same, with Ieyoshi yelling after him,

"Get out of here, Dame-Tsuna! No one wants you here!" Tsuna closed the door gently behind him. Now that the quiet boy was out of the room, Reborn felt like he could reveal his true identity as demon spawn. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason, he hadn't wanted to commit any of his evil acts in front of the boy. Hm. Good trait for a boss. He brushed the thought aside and turned to Ieyoshi.

"Lesson one; RESPECT YOUR FAMILY." He pulled out the Leon Hammer and proceeded to pound Ieyoshi as he ran screaming around his room.

Outside in the hall, Tsuna paused to listen to the erratic screaming and crashes coming from inside the room, but shrugged, as he didn't sense any danger.

Meanwhile, Reborn was finding a cowering student entirely too entertaining.

XXXX

Tsuna felt a little guilty for enjoying the sequence of events. And very relieved that it wasn't him.

That Dying Will bullet? Not only was the idea of being shot in the head terrifying, but the part where you ran around half naked left him completely unable to take it seriously.

First, Ieyoshi had ran up to Sasagawa Kyoko, the school's idol, in his boxers to confess to her. Then, after jokingly being called a hentai by mostly everyone in school, Ieyoshi got made and ended up in several fights. Tsuna had watched Hibari chase down his brother (for disturbing the peace and public indecency), trying not to grin. Despite being bloodthirsty, Tsuna knew that Hibari wouldn't damage Ieyoshi too badly.

Since there was a lot of commotion about his twin, Tsuna had been left alone for the majority of the day. Which he liked. It would be nice not to go home with bruises for once.

Feeling better than he had in a while, he found himself doing something he rarely did; singing.

_"Blackbird singing in the dead of night,_

_ Take these broken wings and learn to fly._

_ All your life,_

_ You were only waiting for this moment to arise." _

His voice was hoarse from lack of use, but the song was still melodic and heartfelt, and beyond beautiful. In fact, the roughness added a lovely effect. He tapped the tempo.

_ "Blackbird singing in the dead of night,_

_ Take these sunken eyes and learn to see._

_ All your life,_

_ You were only waiting for this moment to be free…."_

"Herbivore." Tsuna almost had a heart attack. His mouth snapped shut and any remnants of a voice died in his throat. He turned nervously to see HIbari, with n unreadable expression on his face. Most people would say that Hibari's expression was always unreadable, but Tsuna found him to be quite expressive. But then again, most people weren't looking at what they should.

Tsuna hurried to pick up his stuff.

"Why did you stop?" Hibari questioned. Tsuna froze. He looked up at HIbari and opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but then he realized he couldn't even if he tried and closed it again. What looked like an amused expression at his struggling found its way to Hibari's face. "Well, herbivore?"

_You know I can't talk._ Tsuna's face clearly said, red with embarrassment.

"Can't or don't?" Hibari asked calmly. Tsuna froze up again. After a moment, he shook his head and gave the skylark a sorrowful look.

_Both._

"And that is why you are still an herbivore." Hibari said, matter-of-factly. The one-sided conversation was pretty much over, so Tsuna grabbed his things and hurried off. While he was opening the door, Hibari's hand latched on to the edge of it. Tsuna paused. "It was very beautiful." Hibari said quietly. Tsuna's face flamed, and he shook his head furiously before practically sprinting down the stairs, magically not tripping.

Once he was in the school, he almost collapsed in the hallway. If Ieyoshi ever found out what had just transpired, he would _kill_ Tsuna.

XXXX

In the DC's office, Hibari was tapping a pencil on one of the many forms he had to fill out, a curious expression on his face. He couldn't help but wonder about the fluffy haired herbivore he frequently saw around. The one who had been singing.

He was well aware that the boy was a mass of contradictions. The clearly had the capacity to be a carnivore one day; Hibari was aware that the amount of self-control needed not to speak to anyone for years on end was massive. That kind of control was _power_. Yet the boy allowed himself to be bullied and pushed around. The boy had relatively innocent eyes; but Hibari had noticed the times when they narrowed and were filled with unexplainable depth. The flinch whenever anyone mentioned the name of his brother, the cringe whenever his brother came near, but the dignified strength he held himself with every time he was beaten. The pride never left his eyes, and that only made the bullies furious. It was a fascinating puzzle.

Why the boy remained an herbivore was beyond him, but he planned to eliminate the problem, if just in order to have a fellow carnivore to battle one day.

He faced a single problem. He knew the other herbivores thought of the boy as dame, because of his lack of balance and failing grades, but those were things that could be fixed easily. The real problem was that he didn't even know the boy's name.

A knock sounded on the door of the Disciplinary Committee's office.

"Come in." He responded. A teen with a pompadour poked his head in.

"I have the report, Kyo-san-,"

"What's the herbivore's name?" Hibari interrupted nonchalantly. Kusakabe blinked.

"Uh…could you be a little more specific?" Hibari wanted to roll his eyes. But he did not.

"The fluffy-haired one that never speaks. The herbivores call him dame." Hibari got the closest to giddy as he had ever been when he saw the recognition in Kusakabe's eyes. But Hibari did not do giddy, so it was merely a feeling of being passingly pleased.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." Kusakabe informed him, but raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know, Kyo-san?" Hibari was silent, so long that Kusakabe wondered if Hibari had forgotten. But he had not.

"Have you ever heard him?" Hibari asked abruptly. He didn't know why he was asking this question, but he didn't ignore his instinct to ask it.

"Hm?"

"Sing." Kusakabe looked surprised.

"Wait, does Sawada-san sin-,"

"You are dismissed." Hibari cut him off. Kusakabe opened his mouth to say something, but the cutting glare that came tumbling his way closed his mouth for him and picked him up to throw him out the door, which he closed behind him. Hibari set his feet on his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. Thankfully, no one else was in the room, or they would have ran screaming at the bloodthirsty smirk on his face. He had found a fascinating project.

Kusakabe could swear he heard the prefect say,

"His name is fitting…" from inside, but he didn't dare to take his chances to find out for sure. He felt like he should warn Sawada, though.

XXXX

"You're late, Dame-Tsuna!" Ieyoshi bellowed when he heard the door open. Tsuna flinched a little, but took off his shoes to head towards the kitchen for dinner. He had been caught on the way home by a group of students who simply didn't seem to want him to spend one day without being beaten. He was everyone's favorite target. Thankfully, they had avoided his face, so he could eat in piece before limping off to treat his wounds. When he came in, he found Ieyoshi was stuffing his face with Tsuna's food. The angry beast known as hunger practically gnawed through Tsuna's stomach as disappointment rose.

He hadn't received any dinner the night before, because of Reborn liked to steal Ieyoshi's food, so Ieyoshi took Tsuna's Tsuna was known for being notoriously late for meals, but Ieyoshi would have taken it, even if he had been there. He skipped breakfast usually, and had opened his bento at lunch today only to find that Ieyoshi, desperate for food after Reborn had taken his, had devoured it, and left nothing but half eaten, spit-coated scraps, unfit for Tsuna to eat. Tsuna blinked weakly at his family.

"Mama, do we have any food left for Tsuna?" Reborn suggested, glaring at his student, clearly angry that he had eaten the food meant for his brother. Nana glanced up, and her eyes went round as she realized there was nothing left for Tsuna.

"Tsu-kun! I'm so sorry! Iey-kun, it wasn't nice to eat Tsu-kun's food. I'll make you something else." She promised, rising from her seat. Tsuna shook his head, and gave her a soft look. He tapped his bag, which was still slung onto his back. He gave a small gesture with his hand. Nana managed to interpret his words; _I have a lot of homework, but if I'm hungry later I'll handle it myself. _Nana sighed and smiled at her son. "Okay, but if you get too hungry, just let me know and I'll make you something and bring it up." Tsuna nodded, and headed upstairs, before his mother could hear his stomach growl. There was no way in hell that Ieyoshi was going to let Tsuna eat at all tonight, not without incessant bitching and possibly even getting physical. When Ieyoshi was irritated, and he most definitely was about today, he liked to see Tsuna suffer. He'd said on several different occasions that Tsuna was a great stress outlet. Cheerfully, and to his friends, who laughed, but there was nothing funny about it. They just didn't understand.

It was only a few minutes before Tsuna heard the shots from the demon tutor downstairs, Ieyoshi shouting and swearing, and eventually, the loud thud of the Leon hammer. After Reborn finished eating, Reborn chased Ieyoshi outside, forced him to run three laps around town, because "you're going to get huge, fatass. Burn off the calories while your metabolism is still high."

After some time, they came back, with Reborn practically dragging Ieyoshi, who he dumped unceremoniously in his room and slammed the door on. Tsuna had been on the computer, but as soon as he sensed Reborn coming near, he closed the computer, and looked to the door, feeling very much like a timid deer. Reborn entered, looking unfazed that Tsuna had been expecting him to enter. He closed the door behind him.

"Tsuna, even though you're not going to be a mafia boss, I thought that I needed to inform you that your life may be in danger as well." Tsuna took this quietly, as usual, and gestured for Reborn to continue. "Even though we're trying to keep you as uninvolved as possible, I highly recommend that you stay as anonymous as possible, but get your grades up, as it would be unfitting for a mafia boss to have a family people could use as leverage. Both you and Nana will soon enough receive defense training, you sooner. Since you don't seem as much as the fighting type, you do have some other options besides just being the brother of the Vongola Boss." Reborn explained. Tsuna blinked at him, and tilted his head.

_What kind of options? _

"Intel. Things like that. Think about it." Reborn said.

Really, this little venture into Tsuna's room was less about informing him about his options, and more of Reborn observing Tsuna. He had been planning on being blunt and demon spawn, to get some sort of reaction from the silent boy, but he found that he couldn't force himself to misbehave in his presence. It was the same as before, and now Reborn knew why. In front of his brother, Tsuna cowered. He kept his head low. Any possible sort of "boss aura" vanished without a trace. But talking to him now….his head was high, his eyes alive and strong, and he held himself in his own dignified way, his face looking more like a man's than a child's. He had a _boss aura_. His silence….no longer seemed like fear. Tsuna was in _control. _

Needless to say, Reborn liked what he found. He tilted his fedora, and turned to leave the room, but not before pausing to look at Tsuna with a demonic smile.

"There's another candidate." He said quietly. Whatever you considered Xanxus to be-

From Tsuna's expression, he clearly understood what that meant. Someone else had a claim to the title of Vongola Boss and they could fight Ieyoshi for it. But he didn't understand why Reborn was telling him. But Reborn left.

The moment Reborn was out of the room, he pulled his laptop open. He disregarded the window he had open, and opened up a new one. He headed straight for the Cavallone website.

As soon as he had found out about Vongola yesterday, he had a sneaking suspicion which websites might be the backdoor into Vongola. He found it, only by testing their security. He couldn't get it, so he targeted the allied families. Allies in mafia meant that you helped them up, but you held onto some intel in case you needed to attack. The Cavallone security wasn't as strong, and he easily had broken in the other day. Because if there was one thing Tsuna knew how to do, it was to hack.

It was kind of…disturbing, about that being his only skill. He just had a knack for this sort of thing. It was a gift he had discovered in years of silence. It only took him a moment to hunt down information of candidates.

What he found was unhappily vague. Any reports were very obscure, which meant that this other candidate was on the lockdown. Things about some "Crib" incident, the name Xanxus, and the word Varia. If this "Xanxus" was the other candidate, they must really not want him to take over Vongola. He was clearly more qualified, if only from the words left behind. And he was still alive. It would have been simple to say he was dead; the other three candidates deaths' were obvious. But if Vongola was willing to suggest an arrogant Japanese teenager with a mute twin brother, then they must be desperate to keep Xanxus out of Vongola.

Eventually, Tsuna was forced to close out of Cavallone. There wasn't any more information to be gleaned. He glanced at the clock and decided that it was enough hacking for one night. He closed everything down and went to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

so i'm not going to have a lot of pre-story here since i'm uploading it all at once but i will have each song

titanium by sia

enjoy!

XXXX

It was getting very hard to ignore. Ever since the incident with Kyoko the other day, Mochida and Ieyoshi had been butting heads in the hallway. Tsuna was very good at ignoring his brother's business. He didn't want to know what his brother did, and Ieyoshi had made it very clear that he didn't want Tsuna's interference in any of his business anyways. But with Mochida Kensuke, the captain of the Kendo club, and Ieyoshi blowing up at each other in the middle of the hallway, it was becoming difficult to block out. Mochida flung an arm out.

"You sick pervert! I challenge you to a kendo match!" Mochida shrieked at Ieyoshi. Tsuna could see this going in many different directions. Ieyoshi could apologize for his demeanor and respectfully decline the kendo match. He could storm away angrily and refuse a match. Or he could do the most likely of the three, and explode back and scream about how he was going to kick Mochida's ass.

"YOU WANNA GO? FINE THEN, YOU FREAKY KENDO BASTARD!" Ieyoshi yelled back angrily. Mochida and him glared at each other, growling, before someone ran down the hall, shouting,

"HIBARI-SAN IS COMING!" They scattered almost instantly, except for Tsuna, who sighed, and continued on his way to class. When Hibari stalked angrily down the hall, eyeing the escaping students at the other end, he gave a side glance to Tsuna. Tsuna lifted his head tiredly in response, glad his stomach remained silent. He was starving. He hadn't eaten anything in over a day, and couldn't wait for lunch. He was already malnourished and weak; his body couldn't take the lack of nutrition for much longer.

"Herbivore." Hibari acknowledge him with a dip of his head. Tsuna nodded, before the thought occurred to him that maybe he should warn Hibari about the fight after school. He wouldn't approve and those two idiots were going to get themselves hurt. Tsuna touched Hibari's arm lightly. He gave him an even look, and hoped his face communicated what he could not.

_There's going to be a fight. _Hibari studied him for a moment, before nodding.

"I will be on patrol." He understood; good. Tsuna nodded, released the fabric of Hibari's shirt from between his fingertips, and headed for class.

XXXX

At lunch, on the rooftop, Tsuna was so eager to eat, that he didn't even acknowledge the warning bells going off in his head. He was just about to start eating his bento, when a shoe crushed his lunch beneath its dirty bottom, before he had even put any of it in his mouth. His eyes widened, and he had to look up, shielding his eyes against the bright sun, trembling before the figure. It was the one person that scared him more than anyone else.

His brother.

Tsuna wasn't really sure why his brother scared him as much as he did, but for some reason, he had some sort of imprint of his brother on his mind as terrifying. Sure, his brother could be abusive and terrible, but Tsuna had taken that from many others. But that strange feeling….about his brother being dangerous and terrifying, had been present in Tsuna's mind since he was a child.

"Listen up, Dame-Tsuna." Ieyoshi started tonelessly. "Today, I'm far too busy to waste my time fighting against Mochida. You need to fight him for me." Tsuna blinked at him, eyes doe-like. He tilted his head to the side, as if to ask, _But people will know I'm not you. _Light exploded in front of his vision, pain shocking him, like a knife. He wasn't even aware that he was lying on the ground until a moment later. The pain had been so intense, that Tsuna hadn't even felt the lightning fast kick directed at his head and the top of his spine. Ieyoshi crouched down, looking at the prone form of his twin with disgust. "Did I _ask_ for your opinion, Dame-Tsuna? No, I didn't. We're going to slick your hair back, and you're going to fight for me, or I'm afraid you're going to lose that little voice of yours _permanently._" Ieyoshi was well aware of the fact that Tsuna had the physical ability to talk. He didn't know that Tsuna still sang on occasion; but he figured that Tsuna probably could talk if he let his twin do so. But he would harm his brother to the point where he would be too physically damaged to ever speak again. Tsuna shivered, and touched his throat.

_I'm sorry._ He lowered his head penitently.

"Good. Now, remember, skip your last period, so we can meet up and make the switch. Come to the boys' bathroom by the entrance on the first floor. Understand?" Tsuna nodded. Ieyoshi straightened up, and walked away, making sure to crush any bits of Tsuna's lunch beneath his feet. Tsuna's stomach growled, but he made no move to stop his twin.

Once Ieyoshi was gone, Tsuna sat up, and put his head in his hands, shaking it, and wondering what he was going to do.

XXXX

Reborn had to admit, he was pleasantly surprised by Tsuna managing to find his hiding spot in a tree, observing outside Ieyoshi's classroom. Or maybe he was just frustrated with his stupid student. Yes, he wanted Ieyoshi to fight Mochida, but the kid didn't have to be so _pig-headed _about it. Anyway you looked at it, he much preferred Tsuna's silence to the loud yelling Ieyoshi used. Reborn hopped down a branch.

"What are you doing outside of class, Dame-Tsuna?" He asked in his cutesy voice. Tsuna reached up and handed a small note to Reborn, seeming nervous. Reborn took the note and opened it up. In a messy scrawl, were the words; PLEASE STOP IEYOSHI. Reborn blinked at the mystery, Sawada Tsunayoshi. "You don't want Ieyoshi to fight Mochida?" Tsuna shook his head, and waved his hand dismissively.

_That's not what I need you to stop. _Reborn didn't know why Tsuna bothered to write the message. With his damn near mind-reading abilities, he could easily communicate with the silent boy.

"Then what do you need me to stop?"

_You'll see. _Reborn suspected he would. Very soon.

XXXX

Kusakabe had been torn when he the fluffy-haired student Kyo-san had been talking about showed up randomly, with a message written down that he needed to talk to Kyo-san. The student was skipping class, but unlike most students, he was actually seeking out Hibari, for help with something. Hibari didn't like anyone breaking the rules, but he was clearly fascinated by the relatively unimpressive teen. Finally, just as he was about to send the boy away, the boy drew himself up, eyes narrowing, and power exuding from him in a way that only Kyo-san had ever done. Kusakabe almost dropped the note as he hurried to the DC's office, knocking gently on the door.

"Come in." Kusakabe entered uneasily. As usual, Kyo-san was bent over paperwork. "What is it, Kusakabe?" He asked in a monotone, without looking up.

"That uh…er…herbivore you mentioned the other day, Sawada Tsunayoshi, needs to see you." Kyo-san immediately looked up, the fastest response Kusakabe had ever seen from him when he wasn't in a fight. Kyo-san raised an eyebrow.

"Bring him in." He ordered, more of a death aura than ever before. Kusakabe gulped and opened the door to let the boy in. Kyo-san crossed his arms over his chest. "What is it you want?" The boy walked straight up to Kyo-san's desk fearlessly, a note in his hand. He set it in front of the prefect. Kyo-san quickly scanned the note and glanced up at the herbivore. "Understood. They shall all be bitten to death accordingly." The fluffy-haired student nodded. "Now get back to class herbivore. Or you will be bitten to death." The boy gave him a humorless, bitter expression, before walking out of the room. As he left, he bent his head when he passed Kusakabe, and if Kusakabe hadn't known better, he would have sworn he could hear the word; _arigato_. But the boy had not said anything at all. His lips hadn't even moved.

Kusakabe was left gaping after the strange boy as he left. Now, he thought he understood why Kyo-san was so interested in the boy.

"Kyo-san."

"Hn."

"Herbivore, omnivore, carnivore. I think you may have to come up with a new class for that strange dame boy. What about mysteryvore?" A pencil sharpener hit the wall next to Kusakabe's head with such force that it broke and the pieces fell everywhere. Kusakabe gulped. Kyo-san didn't seem to be in the mood for his meager attempts at humor. "K-kyo-san?"

"Hn. I missed." Kusakabe could not have gotten out of there fast enough.

XXXX

The fight with Mochida didn't go quite as planned. And Reborn was getting mad. Single-handedly, it seemed that Dame-Tsuna had screwed up their plans. There was no real proof; there was some small evidence, but he couldn't just say, "Oh! It's Tsuna's fault that Hibari came out of nowhere and beat down the gym's population! Now Mochida's going home with only half a head of hair and Ieyoshi with a few strikes away from broken bones, and it's all Tsuna's fault!" But he was pretty damn sure the student had somehow tipped Hibari off.

Normally, Reborn would have been laughing his ass off at what had happened to his student, in a way that only he could. But Gokudera Hayato, a possible future member of the Famiglia, had been observing, and witnessing his future boss get beaten to a pulp by a bloodthirsty skylark had increased his already large amount of contempt for Ieyoshi. It would take a very unique situation to convince the bomber to join the family now.

And all because of Tsuna.

Reborn had to give him a few points though, because somehow, without speaking, the twin had pulled off something Hibari probably dreamt about. A gym full of misbehaving herbivores to bite. Who couldn't run and tried to fight. More fun for Hibari.

Actually, now that Reborn took a second to think about it, he really couldn't be mad at Tsuna. It was very funny. And Gokudera Hayato was a lost puppy. If Ieyoshi showed him acceptance, he would easily join the Famiglia. Besides, he would probably realize soon enough that the only one on Hibari's level was Reborn himself.

But Ieyoshi was stark-raving mad.

While they walked home, the bloody future boss hadn't said a word, simmering dangerously, while Reborn suppressed his laughter besides his student. He couldn't wait to see what a pissed off and publicly humiliated Ieyoshi did. It was just so _funny._

Ieyoshi stormed into the house. Thankfully, Nana wasn't there, or she would have freaked out about her baby boy covered in blood. Ieyoshi trampled up the stairs, eyebrow furrowed, and went straight to Tsuna's room. Reborn frowned, and almost followed his student in, but the door slammed in his face. Oh, Ieyoshi was so going to get punished for that later. There were some strange thuds and smacks, and Reborn quickly flung the door open, understanding the relevance of the message that Tsuna had left him earlier. _Please stop him. _

Reborn ran inside, and found a scene that horrified even him, a seasoned hitman. Ieyoshi had Tsuna by the throat, whose head was lolling back, blood already smeared all over his face. He was limp and weak, and his legs dangled uselessly. Reborn could already see the bruises flowering on Tsuna's arms and face, and he suspected that there was much worse underneath the shirt.

Jesus Christ. Reborn had been separated from Ieyoshi for literally three seconds, and he had already administered a beating like this?

Ieyoshi glanced back at Reborn, snarling.

"It's Dame-Tsuna's fault any of this happened. He's going to pay." His grip on his twin's throat tightened, until Tsuna was completely white, and his mouth was open in a silent scream. Ieyoshi crushed his windpipe. Tsuna convulsed and Ieyoshi dropped his brother to the ground, catching him in the ribs with a sharp kick. Reborn pointed his Leon gun at Ieyoshi's head, his killer intent all over the place.

"Don't touch him again." He said, his voice becoming surprisingly deep. Ieyoshi's eyes widened at the sudden spike of killer intent. Even the most "herbivorous herbivore" would be able to feel that. Reborn flicked his black eyes to the limp heap on the ground. He wasn't moving. "Go to your room."

"I'm not just some kid who you can tell to go to their room when they've done something wron-,"

"GO TO YOUR ROOM." Ieyoshi clamped his mouth shut and sprinted to his room, slamming the door behind him. Reborn could practically hear his whimpering through the door. For someone who had just nearly beat his brother into a coma, he was a spineless fool. Reborn gently closed the door and walked over to tend to Tsuna. Leon returned to his place on Reborn's hat. Reborn reached down and checked his vitals in a standard procedure. They were completely normal. They weren't even erratic with fear, which Reborn found highly unusual. Tsuna was unconscious, or at least mostly. He managed to flip the boy over and check for broken bones and the such. He spent some extra time inspecting his throat and determined there would be no permanent damage, just a large bruise for a little while.

Reborn was only here for a job; he was hardly even in a student-teacher relationship yet. He only knew Ieyoshi from the past three days, and Tsuna even less. But knowing Tsuna received a vicious and cruel beating from his own brother while Reborn was there left him with a sick feeling. Tsuna was _defenseless._ He was _malnourished._ He was _tired._ He was _weak._ And most importantly, he was _not to be blamed_ for what had happened. So what if he had tipped Hibari off? There were plenty of things Ieyoshi could have done and he wouldn't have been publicly humiliated. Beaten, yes, but not as badly. Leon climbed down Reborn's arm and slipped into his hand, shifting into gun form. He squeezed the gun, gritting his teeth angrily. It was time to teach his student a proper lesson.

After he set the boy on his bed, treated, and left, turning off his light, he made his way angrily to Ieyoshi's room. He flung the door open, which slammed against the wall. Ieyoshi, who was sitting on his bed, jumped. He didn't say anything, sensing Reborn's obvious fury. Reborn put the gun to Ieyoshi's head, metal to skin contact. Ieyoshi looked like a frightened rabbit. Which he obviously was not, and that made Reborn even more furious.

"Lesson one, Ieyoshi. _Respect your family. Family _or _Famiglia_, it doesn't matter. You will treat them with _respect._ Or you will _never wake back up._ This isn't just about being a mafia boss; Mafia bosses have to respect both family and Famiglia. But unless you gain even half a set of morals, you will be a pathetic, weak, spineless excuse for a human being, and I am not afraid to kill you where you stand and dispose of the body. We have _other candidates._ Don't think that we need you. We are offering you a future. I will beat every last moral into you if I have to. But make an effort. Even men like Hibari have more of a conscience than a pitiful waste of existence like you." Reborn spoke in a deep voice, his killer intent projected over everything in the room. Ieyoshi trembled underneath the fiery gaze.

Reborn had known that every once and a while, he might have to get serious with his student. He eventually had to with Dino, but never, ever about anything like this. Despite all of his shortcomings, Dino had plenty of morals, and Reborn had never been this serious with him. Usually it was about convincing Dino that every once and a while, he might have to hurt people. Reborn shouldn't have to tell his student not to hurt people. And never this soon.

"Ieyoshi." Reborn's voice was still deep. Ieyoshi quivered silently. "If you ever beat your brother like that again, I will shoot you point-blank, and there won't be a Dying Will bullet in this gun." Ieyoshi gulped and nodded. Reborn was already so disgusted with the slimeball of life in front of him, that he knocked him out and locked him in his room.

About an hour or two later, night had fallen, and Nana still wasn't home, but had called, leaving a message that she had connected with an old friend and that she would be home soon. That was when Reborn heard it.

_"You shout it out,_

_ But I can't hear a word you say._

_ I'm talking loud, not saying much._

_ I criticized, but all your bullets ricochet._

_ You shoot me down, but I get up."_

_ "I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose._

_ Fire away, fire away._

_ Ricochet, take your aim_

_ Fire away, fire away._

_ You shoot me down, but I won't fall,_

_ I am titanium._

_ You shoot me down, but I won't fall._

_ I am titanium."_

_ "Cut me down_

_ But it's you who'll have further to fall._

_ Ghost town, haunted love_

_ Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones_

_ I'm talking loud, not saying much."_

_ "I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose,_

_ Fire away, fire away._

_ Ricochet, take your aim_

_ Fire away, fire away._

_ You shoot me down, but I won't fall._

_ I am titanium._

_ You shoot me down, but I won't fall,_

_ I am titanium_

_ I am titanium_

_ I am titanium."_

_ "Stone-hard, machine gun,_

_ Fired at the ones who run_

_ Stone-hard, as bulletproof glass"_

_ "You shoot me down, but I won't fall,_

_ I am titanium._

_ You shoot me down, but I won't fall,_

_ I am titanium_

_ You shoot me down, but I won't fall,_

_ I am titanium_

_ You shoot me down, but I won't fall,_

_ I am titanium_

_ I am titanium." _That beautiful voice and song….left Reborn entirely speechless. It had started out slow and soft, as it was on the verses and bridge, but whenever it reached the choruses, the amount of power in the voice left him stunned and rooted to the spot. His mouth hung open, as he realized it was coming from outside. He rushed downstairs, curious who it was so close to the house. He flung the backdoor open, to see Tsuna sitting on the steps of the porch, and humorless smile on his face, and a hand on his throat. Reborn froze. How the hell had he missed Tsuna sneaking past him and going down the stairs? When had the boy left his room? And since when did he have such a beautiful voice?

"Tsuna." Reborn said quietly. Tsuna twisted to give him a small smile. His eyes gave Reborn a flash into his thoughts.

_You're lucky you got a whole song._

Reborn snorted. Tsuna's eye-speak was strange. It was a mixture of subliminal body language, intent, aura, eyes, and facial expression. Yet somehow, when Tsuna wanted it to be, it was easy to understand.

"I didn't know you could sing like that." Tsuna shrugged and turned back to stare at the night sky. He had his legs hugged to his chest. His body language shifted to "uncomfortable". He twisted his head against, with a sad expression.

_Iey-kun didn't like it._ What got to Reborn was the fact that despite the beating he had just received from his brother, the familiar family love was obviously present in that expression. Reborn paused, and sat down next to Tsuna.

"You shouldn't have been able to reach that kind of vocal range with your throat like that." Tsuna shrugged again. After a few minutes of silence, Reborn said, "You should go up and go to sleep. You need to heal, and later on, eat." Tsuna nodded, but didn't move yet. Finally, Reborn added on, "How do you feel?" Tsuna gave him a humorous look, as if to say, _didn't I already answer that? _Reborn supposed he did; that song was his way of saying, "I will be fine."

XXXX

"Tch. He isn't fit to be the Tenth." Gokudera proclaimed as he dropped his cigarette and crushed it underneath his foot. He and Reborn were conversing away from both Sawadas. "I'll kill him today-,"

"Not today." Reborn said immediately. Gokudera blinked at the respected hitman. "I don't mean to put a damper on your plans, but not today. Wait until tomorrow." Normally, Gokudera wouldn't allow anyone to tell him what to do, but Reborn was different. So Gokudera shrugged.

"Fine. I'll wait another day."

"And stay away from the other twin." Gokudera blinked.

"Twin?"

"There's Sawada Ieyoshi, and Sawada Tsunayoshi. Ieyoshi is your target. Don't lay a hand on Tsuna." Gokudera shrugged.

"How do I tell them apart?"

"Ieyoshi's hair is shorter, and he's taller than Tsuna. Tsuna has a sort of permanent frightened rabbit look, and is quiet. Ieyoshi is loud. You saw him yesterday; they don't look much alike when you get close enough. Besides, Tsuna is the one covered in bruises." Gokudera couldn't help but double take when he could swear he detected a hint of bitterness in the hitman's voice. He didn't want to ask.

"Got it. Attack the bunny and leave the short one alone." Reborn sighed, exasperated, at the way Gokudera mixed it up.

"_No._ The bunny _is _the short one." Gokudera frowned.

"Then which one do I leave alone?"

"You leave the bunny alone. You attack Ieyoshi." Reborn explained as slowly as humanly possible.

"But isn't Ieysayoshi the bunny?" Gokudera asked, bemused. Reborn had been thinking about hitting Gokudera with his Leon mallet. Now he wanted to hit himself with it and spare himself the suffering.

"Do you need me to draw you a diagram?"

"It would help."

XXXX

"I'm back with my report, Kyo-san." Kusakabe said, entering the room. Hibari looked up, peeved. That was the fourth time Kusakabe had entered the room without knocking. Did these people have no manners?

Kusakabe walked up to Hibari's desk and set the report on it, but he was so obvious uncomfortable that even Hibari couldn't ignore it. And he took pride in doing things such as that. He allowed the teen to squirm for a few minutes, before he demanded,

"Well?"

"It's just," Kusakabe immediately burst out. "I know that he was probably breaking rules or something, but he did warn you about the fight and all…did you really have to beat Sawada-san so badly?" Hibari straightened up, eyes narrowing.

"What?" Kusakabe continued.

"I mean, I've never seen you beat a normal student like that. Usually you only beat yakuza that badly- Sawada-san looks like he should be in the hospital. It's a miracle he's still walking around-,"

"Tetsu. Shut up." Hibari ordered. Kusakabe's mouth promptly closed. "What is this about that herbivore being beaten? I have not bitten him to death." Kusakabe's head jerked up, a concerned look on his face.

"Then…what happened?"

"The herbivore. You said he looked badly beaten. Describe it." Hibari demanded. He had capped his pen and his paperwork no longer held any of his attention.

"Bruises- all over. Face, arms, from what I can see, shoulders too. I strongly suspect it is much worse underneath his clothing. Split lip, tired, fatigued look. He can barely stumble around and he looks dangerously frail. And there's a bruise on his neck; not like it would be from a rope, if he tried to kill himself. It wraps almost completely around his neck, and it's dark purple." Kusakabe paused for a moment. "And it's in the shape of a hand." Hibari's eyes narrowed dangerously. Anyone who would beat someone like that was most certainly going to disrupt peace at Namimori. It posed a threat to his territory. He would eliminate that threat immediately.

"Where is the herbivore?" Hibari demanded. He would make that herbivore talk, no matter what. Besides, he found no shame in admitting that he didn't like the idea of someone beating up on the silent herbivore. From what he heard, this kind of beating sounded cruel and vicious. Hibari was vicious; but he was not a cruel person. He did not approve of cruel actions, especially when unjustified. Besides, it would be a shame to get rid of one of the more tolerable herbivores.

"Probably in class. Are you going to pull him out?" Hibari nodded.

"He will tell me who this possible threat is." Kusakabe followed Hibari's line of thought.

"Could you please give him a note to send him home? He doesn't look fit to be out of bed, let alone to be at school." Kusakabe requested. It pained him to see the petite boy almost collapsing with every step he took.

"Hn." That was Hibari's way of saying yes; yes just wasn't in his vocabulary.

"Thank you, Kyo-san."

XXXX

Tsuna didn't like the attention he was getting at all. Even though his collar was pulled up to hide the bruises, and he could cover most of his arms, people still kept spotting all of his injuries, and asking him how he got them, despite knowing he wouldn't answer. Kyoko rushed over to him, ever the bleeding heart.

"Sawada-kun! Are you alright?" she asked sweetly, gently touching his shoulder. He shied away immediately, but shrugged. She leaned back and viewed all of the bruises, and noticed the distinctly hand-shaped bruise on his throat.

"Who did this to you?" Kurokawa Hana demanded grimly. Neither of them had ever really spoken to Tsuna, but they were still concerned about someone being beaten up like that. Tsuna just shook his head, trying to block out the feeling of killer intent that was coming from Ieyoshi across the room. Ieyoshi was glaring at him, as if to say, _If they find out, you're dead._ Tsuna suppressed a shiver, and shied away from the two girls, to take his seat. "You should tell, Sawada." Hana said, sniffing. "Anyone who would beat up someone defenseless like this is a public menace. Hibari should bite him to death."

"Hana! Don't say things like that! I'm sure no one deserves for Hibari to bite them to death-,"

"Was it Hibari?" Hana abruptly interrupted her friend, as the idea came to her. Kyoko's eyes widened. It seemed plausible. Tsuna shook his head. Hana raised an eyebrow. "Are you lying?" Tsuna shook his head. After a few minutes of looking evenly at the fluffy-haired student, she sighed. "It does no good to keep it to yourself." Hana said quietly, before turning on her heel to go to her seat. Kyoko stayed behind, smiling at him brightly.

"I'm sorry if she came across kind of harsh. She really means the best. I hope you feel better, Sawada-kun." She too, went back to her seat. Tsuna had never held any contempt for the two girls; in fact, even though they never truly talked to him, they had always been quite nice to him. He felt kind of grateful that someone cared. The bell rang, and students rushed to their seats. The teacher stood at the front of the room, with a silver-haired, green-eyed teenager standing next to him.

The teenager looked every bit the delinquent, his shirt unbuttoned to show the shirt underneath, and his uniform worn nothing like it was supposed to. Hibari would probably have quite a lot of fun fixing that. The strangest thing was, the teenager was glaring daggers at the entire class, and more directly at Ieyoshi. It was kind of scary.

"Class, settle down. This is a transfer student from Italy, Gokudera Hayato. He will be joining our class. Gokudera-kun, would you like to share anything about yourself?"

"Leave me alone." Was Gokudera's short reply. The teacher sweat-dropped. He pointed out Gokudera's seat, and Tsuna watched as he went out of his way to walk next to Ieyoshi's desk, to kick it and send it toppling over.

"Oh my god, he's such a delinquent!"

"But he's so hot!"

"I know! He's such a bad boy!"

"Are we making a fanclub?"

"Don't you think he and Yamamoto-kun would be the best yaoi couple ever?"

"We should make a fanclub!"

"We should ship them!"

"We're making a fanclub!"

"This ship has sailed!"

The girls squealed and squeaked over the addition of the "handsome" transfer student. Tsuna couldn't care less about what the girls thought of him, but was more concerned about his bone to pick with Ieyoshi. Wait a second-

Italian transfer student.

Contempt for Ieyoshi.

He was mafia.

Tsuna made the immediate decision to steer clear from his brother and Gokudera for the next few days. Because something was going to go down, and Tsuna was still feeling the effects from the last time he interfered. He winced, and rubbed his throat, settling down on his desk. At least in this class he could put up his books and sleep. All the teachers knew that he wouldn't answer a question even when called on, but plenty called on him anyways. At least this teacher wouldn't call on him, knowing he wouldn't answer. He was going to sleep, but just as the teacher was starting in on the lecture, the door opened, to reveal Kusakabe. The teacher turned and blinked.

"Kusakabe-san? Do you need anything?" Everyone knew that he was part of the DC, so the teachers obeyed him, knowing Hibari would come for them if they didn't.

"I need to pull Sawada Tsunayoshi out of class." Everyone looked straight at Tsuna, who cringed and tried to hide behind his books. Kusakabe's eyes found Tsuna, and he gave him a small smile. "Don't worry, Sawada-san. Kyo-san doesn't plan to bite you to death or anything." Tsuna managed a small nod, and stood up, grabbing his things. The teacher gestured for him to go, and he stiffly walked over to Kusakabe, who led him out the door and down the hall. He could already hear the whispers in the class.

XXXX

Hibari was surprisingly unprepared for the image of the half-dead herbivore. The herbivore truly looked terrible, and Hibari found himself wondering why he had bothered to come to school. There was no way that herbivore could make it through the day.

They stood in the Disciplinary Committee's office, until Hibari gestured for him to sit down and sent Kusakabe on his merry way. The herbivore had taken his seat warily, and moved stiffly, as if everything hurt. Hibari imagined it did.

"Herbivore." Hibari stated, planning on jumping straight in. He was one to go straight to the point. "Who did this to you?" The herbivore shook his head. "Herbivore, tell me who did this to you." The herbivore shook his head again, and straightened up a little. Hibari pulled out his death aura. "Herbivore, tell me who did this to you, or I will bite you to death." The herbivore met Hibari's eyes (a feat that few could achieve) with a fiery gaze of his own, and stubbornly shook his head. Hibari sighed. "Then just go home herbivore, and don't come back until you can actually stay standing for most of the day." Hibari said. He stood up, slapped a note in the herbivore's hand, and stalked out of the room angrily. Since he clearly couldn't glean any information from the frustrating herbivore, he would force his twin to tell him. Kusakabe had said he had a twin.

Which unfortunately left Tsuna sitting on the couch awkwardly, wondering what had just happened.

The sound of explosions captured both herbivore's and carnivore's attention, and their heads snapped to the window that showed the courtyard. Tsuna bolted out of the room, with a newfound strength, and Hibari wondered what the hell that herbivore was on.

Tsuna arrived in the courtyard just in time to see his brother running around half naked and defusing bombs. His mouth fell open. There were just no words to describe what was going on.

The transfer student was throwing bombs at his brother, getting angrier and angrier. He was swearing loudly, something about the tenth, and lighting his dynamite with his cigarette, which was probably terrible for his health. Reborn, meanwhile, was just sitting off to the side, seeming to enjoy the unique situation. He bounced over to Tsuna, sitting on Tsuna's shoulder.

"That's Smokin' Bomb Hayato. He is a hitman that is said to carry so many bombs with him, that he's a human explosive device. He's currently trying to kill your brother to receive the title of Vongola boss." Reborn explained happily.

_Sounds like fun._ Tsuna thought sarcastically.

"Don't get cheeky." Reborn reprimanded him.

_I'm sorry, all this public indecency has fried my brain permanently._ Tsuna almost jumped out of his skin when Reborn shoved the small end of a Leon funnel in Tsuna's ear and put his own against the large end. After a moment, he turned, and spoke directly into the funnel.

"Remember, Dame-Tsuna, I can hear your thoughts~" It echoed in his ear and Tsuna jumped, knocking the funnel away and covering his ear with his hand.

"TRIPLE BOMB!" Gokudera shouted angrily, but as he fumbled with the dynamite, a few dropped from his hands, already lit. Gokudera paled. Reborn was jerking his thumb, signaling to Ieyoshi to save him, or at least that much was clear to Tsuna. But clearly, Ieyoshi was _blind_, because he didn't notice, and shouted, laughing,

"HA! Death serves you right for trying to kill the next Vongola boss! I hope you burn in hell!" Tsuna acted on instinct; he flung Reborn off his shoulder and to safety, as he darted forward, tackling Gokudera from the side, just as the dynamite exploded. He slammed into Gokudera from the waist. Thankfully, he managed to catch him off balance and plow him to the side, covering him while Tsuna felt the force of the explosion from behind. Smoke filled his vision.

XXXX

Gokudera never thought that his savior would be a small, petite, bunny-angel covered in bruises shaped like hands.

But it was the mafia, and nothing was ever what you thought it would be.


	3. Chapter 3

song is these times by safetysuit

enjoy!

XXXX

Hibari arrived in time to see the small herbivore and the large explosion. Other than the fact that just the concept of it was breaking so many rules he couldn't even name them all, but he had specifically sent the herbivore home with instructions to get better. This was not getting better. He hated being disobeyed. He stalked towards the explosion, not sure who he was going to bite to death first. A hand on his leg stopped him. He glanced down. It was a baby.

"What do you want, baby?" He demanded.

"My name is Reborn. Not baby. And please don't interfere. I'm curious to see what is going to happen."

"They are disturbing the peace."

"I'm not saying not to interfere. Just not yet." Hibari's tonfas were in his hands in a moment as he regarded the baby. He was sure it wasn't what it seemed to be, but he would bite it to death all the same.

"Why should I listen to you?" He snarled, and attacked. He was immediately blocked. He paused, and raised an eyebrow. "Wao. You're good." Reborn smiled.

"Yes, I am. And if it pleases you, I will fight you. But just not now." Hibari decided to listen to the baby for the time being. He straightened up, and put away his tonfas (in whatever dimensional pocket he kept them in), facing what was going on. Now that he thought about it, he was a little curious about what was going to happen.

The smoke cleared, and Tsuna suppressed a cough, getting off of Gokudera. Gokudera waved some smoke away from his face, coughing, and blinking up. Both of their eyes were watering from the smoke. Gokudera sat up, and in his first moment, mistook Tsuna for Ieyoshi.

"Jyuudaime! You saved me anyways!" Tsuna blinked at the tone of Gokudera's voice. "I never really wanted the position of boss, just when I heard that Jyuudaime was a boy the same age as me, I felt like I had to test him. I will follow you for the rest of my life, Jyuudaime-," Tsuna covered Gokudera's mouth with his hand and shook his head. He pointed to the figure through the settling dust. When Ieyoshi became clear, Gokudera's eyes widened, and he looked back and forth between the twins. He pointed a finger at Tsuna, and exclaimed, "You're the short bunny!" Off to the side, Reborn facepalmed. Tsuna gave him a curious look, but slowly got to his feet. He offered a hand to Gokudera, who took it, thanking him excessively for everything.

Tsuna was beginning to realize what this was. A day or two ago, Reborn had explained to Tsuna about recruiting Famiglia members. This had probably been a test for Ieyoshi, and to get a Famiglia member. And he had just ruined it. He didn't regret saving Gokudera. But he regretted messing up Ieyoshi's test, for a plethora of reasons. He had probably screwed up the Mochida test enough, so he was going to fix this test. He walked over to his brother, who was regarding him with disdain. He touched his brother's arm, and his brother could hear his words, _see_ his words as clear as day.

_Make up a lie and get him into your Famiglia. _Ieyoshi glanced at Reborn, who had his arms crossed, and obviously wanted Gokudera in Ieyoshi's family. Normally, Ieyoshi would have beaten his brother for giving him an order, but both Reborn and Hibari were there, though Ieyoshi wasn't quite sure why Hibari wasn't attacking. He would soon, though, Ieyoshi was sure of _that_. Ieyoshi glanced at Tsuna, and then to Gokudera. An uncharacteristically sunny smile broke through his face.

"Congratulations, Gokudera-kun! You passed the test. I'm sorry for acting so mean before, but I needed to test you. And the little blowy-uppy thingy was to see if you would get along with other members of my Famiglia. Welcome to the family, Gokudera-kun!" Ieyoshi said, smiling. He walked over, and clapped Gokudera on the shoulder. "Let's get those wounds treated, right?" Gokudera's face changed from confused, to overjoyed at the acceptance. He smiled at Ieyoshi, blushing, and bowed.

"Thank you Jyuudaime! Is your twin part of your Famiglia?" Ieyoshi smiled.

"Naturally, to an extent, but it was more important that you get along with my actual family. He's very important to me." Gokudera nodded furiously.

"Of course!"

"We're trying to keep him as uninvolved as possible, though." Ieyoshi lied with a bright smile. Gokudera was practically throwing himself at Ieyoshi's feet, overjoyed. Reborn was glad that Ieyoshi had gotten him into his Famiglia, but disgusted at the methods. Meanwhile, Hibari did not like the pathetic herbivorous crowding. He pulled out his tonfas again, and Tsuna noticed first. He darted off to the side, and away from the "crowding. Reborn took his hand off his foot, signaling for Hibari to attack.

As both boys received a beat-down, despite how much dynamite was involved, Reborn reprimanded them from above.

"Ieyoshi; you're a fool. Gokudera; I was entirely sure that I told you not to attack today. What possessed you to draw him out in the middle of the day?"

"I'm sorry Jyuudaime, for bringing this on us!" BAM. SMACK. SCREAM. THUD. THUMP. Hibari was having a field day. Tsuna leaned weakly against a tree, suppressing a small smile. Reborn turned around to look at Tsuna.

"How do you feel, Dame-Tsuna?" Tsuna shot him a half-hearted thumbs up, before tilting his head back against the tree and closing his eyes for a moment. When Hibari was finished biting them to death, he turned to Tsuna.

"Go home, herbivore." He informed him, before stalking off to bite some other hapless student to death. Gokudera approached Tsuna next. He had a sorrowful look on his face. He started bowing incredibly low.

"I'm so sorry, Jyuudaime's brother, that you got hurt saving me. Thank you so much, but you are already injured and I shouldn't have made you take more." Tsuna waved his hand.

_It's fine. _Gokudera shook his head furiously.

"It's not fine, Jyuudaime's brother! Who gave you those injuries? Tell me and I'll make them pay for laying a hand on you!" Tsuna saw Reborn and Ieyoshi twitch. He shook his head, and reached out to touch Gokudera's arm firmly. He looked him evenly in the eyes.

_It's done. _Gokudera sighed unhappily, but nodded.

"Just remember, Jyuudaime's brother, we're both part of the Famiglia, you can always ask for my help." Tsuna nodded like he was considering it, but he was sure he probably wouldn't. Gokudera returned to Ieyoshi's side happily. Ieyoshi approached Tsuna next. He touched Tsuna's shoulder, his smile frozen on his face.

"I need to talk to you when we get home, okay?" Tsuna nodded, and tried to act like he wasn't afraid of his brother. Reborn watched them with a wary eye, his hand tight around his Leon gun. When Ieyoshi stepped back, Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's shoulder.

"Get a move on, Dame-Tsuna. Hibari was right; you should go home."

XXXX

The good thing about being home alone was that Tsuna got to put his hacking skills to work, scouring the families for information about Xanxus and Vongola. And he couldn't believe what he found. The fact was, that Ieyoshi would be able to handle all the mafia things to come if he just asked. From what Tsuna could see, there was a lot Ieyoshi was supposed to know that he should ask about.

First of all, unless you Vongola by blood, you couldn't lay any claim to the position of boss. Adversely, that also meant that if Tsuna ever had any desire to be boss, all he had to do was say so, and he would have to fight Ieyoshi for it. He definitely didn't want to be boss, but it was a nice thought, knowing that if he wanted to, regardless of who had been chosen, he could.

The second thing he found out was that Iemitsu, his father, was the head of CEDEF, the outside advisors of Vongola. He wasn't surprised. For them to be chosen at all, they would look to the parentage, and Iemitsu was good on their "boss resume". Besides, his lies had always seemed so outrageous anyways.

Thirdly, Xanxus was the son of Nono, which confused Tsuna. If he was Nono's son, why hadn't he been chosen as the Vongola boss?

Fourth, the so-called Guardians. If he was to be Vongola boss, Ieyoshi would need to gather a Sun Guardian, Cloud Guardian, Rain Guardian, Storm Guardian, Lightning Guardian and Mist Guardian. They were called what they were because of their ability to wield different type flames; that blazing flame on Ieyoshi's head when he entered Dying Will mode was the Dying Will flame. According to the color, they were a different type of flame. Not everyone's flame, if they had entered Dying Will mode, would be that color. Ieyoshi needed to gather these six people, as his flame was Sky.

After reading about some of this stuff for a while, he began to get a headache, so he took a What is Your Dying Will Flame? Quiz. It claimed to be 100% accurate, and regulated by the top Vongola scientists, and an Arcobaleno known as Verde. He got Cloud. From reading the description, he wasn't all that surprised (A.N. yes, Tsuna is still Sky, the quiz is wrong…sorta (he has more than one wave, like Gokudera). But his primary flame is Sky.)

The word Arcobaleno brought up a ton of things, but Tsuna's brain was fried, and he decided not to get into it yet.

Finally, when Ieyoshi arrived back at home, Gokudera was with him. They went straight to Tsuna's room. Gokudera was nearly pressing his face to the ground, he was bowing so deep when the door to Tsuna's room was opened, and he was visible. Ieyoshi just regarded his twin with that same frozen expression.

"Good afternoon, Jyuudaime's brother! I hope you are feeling better! How are you?" He asked, finally rising. Tsuna nodded, but afterwards, tilted his head and gave Gokudera a curious expression. Gokudera didn't seem to understand immediately, but Reborn bounced into the room and sat on Gokudera's shoulder.

"Tsuna's asking why you are so formal with him." Gokudera flicked his eyes up.

"Because you're Jyuudaime's brother, of course! Both you and Jyuudaime deserve the utmost respect." Tsuna shook his head, and gave him a smiling expression, without actually smiling.

"He says you don't have to be that formal with him. You can call him Tsuna." Gokudera looked horrified with those words.

"I could never!" Gokudera exclaimed. He observed Tsuna for a moment, before claiming, "Onii-san." Tsuna gave him a bright look and nodded.

"He approves." Reborn clarified. Gokudera looked like an excited puppy. Ieyoshi, smile all the more plastic, tugged on Gokudera's sleeve.

"Come on, Gokudera-kun, let's leave Tsuna to his own things. We probably interrupted him. Besides, we have schoolwork to do." Gokudera nodded enthusiastically, and they left Tsuna alone. Reborn skipped in and hopped onto Tsuna's head. Tsuna raised an eyebrow and looked up, curious as to why Reborn was sitting his hair. He had seen Reborn ride around in Ieyoshi's hair before, but he couldn't help but wonder what Reborn was doing in his.

"I want to you to work harder on your grades." Reborn explained. "Your grades are shamefully low and it's not fitting for the brother of a mafia boss." Tsuna shrugged, and took out his schoolwork. He didn't need to be asked.

That was how and why Tsuna ended up spending an hour with Reborn on his homework afterschool every day.

And sure enough, his grades quickly rose, from failing to sixth in his class.

XXXX

Tsuna was stuck sweeping up. _Again._

In gym, his team had lost (not surprisingly), and they had asked for the two Sawadas to stay behind and sweep up. For show, Ieyoshi agreed, but he was probably going to leave as soon as the place cleared up. Tsuna just tried to shrink down as much as possible. Ieyoshi hadn't been able to release any frustration lately, not with Reborn watching constantly, and it also would probably scare away Gokudera. Reborn made it very clear that Ieyoshi was to keep Gokudera as a subordinate. Tsuna remembered the argument;

_"Why the hell do I need someone so weak?!" Ieyoshi roared. He and Reborn had started duking it out over every little thing about an hour ago. Usually, Ieyoshi yelled at Reborn all the time. Reborn had spent most of this fight just sitting there, but now he had a valid reason to speak. _

_ "Ieyoshi-baka, it doesn't matter if you think he's weak right now. In your early stages as a boss, you need any subordinates you can get. You're not strong right now, but he is, in fact, stronger than you. You need him around." Reborn explained calmly, sipping an espresso. Tsuna had begun to make espresso in the morning for Reborn, and even though it was probably terrible, Reborn drank it anyways. Tsuna appreciated Reborn not telling him that it was terrible. Ieyoshi looked like he wanted to tear his hair out._

_ "But he's so pathetic!" He whined, stamping his foot. _

_ "It doesn't matter. You can demote him later. You just need all the subordinates you can get right now. Just play along." _

_ "But-!" Reborn turned and jumped onto Tsuna's head, who was passing by. He settled himself in Tsuna's soft, fluffy hair. _

_ "Give me a ride to dinner, will you, Tsuna?" Tsuna nodded silently, and started walking down the stairs, too scared to look at his brother. As he was walking, Reborn made sure to say loud enough for Ieyoshi to hear, "It's much nicer to sit in your hair, Tsuna. Ieyoshi's is always greasy, stiff, and covered in product." _

_ "Ugh!" Ieyoshi exclaimed behind them._

So Tsuna was very afraid Ieyoshi would take this opportunity to release his pent-up frustration.

Thankfully, a voice called out from a distance away,

"Hey guys! Mind if I join you?" Yamamoto Takeshi, the school's baseball star, jogged over, a broom in hand. He was smiling, as usual. Ieyoshi gave him his plastic smile back.

"Not at all. We could use the help. It'll get everything done faster." Yamamoto started to sweep up near them. They worked for a few more minutes, with Yamamoto smiling, cheerful and happy, and occasionally conversing with Ieyoshi, who acted just as cheerful. Suddenly, Tsuna felt the change in Yamamoto.

"Hey Ieyoshi."

"Hm?" Ieyoshi responded, turning to look at Yamamoto. Yamamoto was still smiling, but it didn't quite reach those hazel eyes of his. Tsuna noticed, but he suspected that Ieyoshi did not.

"You've been really cool lately, with everything you've been doing, and you've been pretty awesome on our school project, so I was wondering if you could give me some advice." Ieyoshi leaned on the handle of the broom.

"What's wrong?" he asked, faking concern.

"Well, lately, in baseball, my average has been dropping, and no matter what I do, I can't seem to get it back up. I'm not sure what to do." Yamamoto admitted, no longer smiling. The atmosphere had changed considerably. "What should I do?" Ieyoshi had turned away for a moment, but he turned back quickly, a shark smile on his face. Clearly, Yamamoto saw the change, and looked a little unnerved.

"I don't know, what should you do? If you're failing, you should just drop baseball. You don't want to drag the entire team down by being such a _failure._ It would be better to just end it and spare yourself the embarrassment. Imagine flunking in the middle of a game. They would absolutely _loathe you_ for it. But then again, you are their star, so no matter what you do, they'll probably hate you for it. I guess there's nothing you can do, except put more effort in and get better. Otherwise, you have nothing." He said all of this, in not a particularly cruel tone, but with an airy one, like it was something to be easily said. But Ieyoshi's eyes were sharp and dangerous. Yamamoto looked speechless, but brightened in a moment.

"Yeah, I thought more effort was probably the way to go. Guess I just needed to hear it from someone else. Thanks Ieyoshi!"

"No problem." Ieyoshi said, happily, but darkly. Tsuna wanted to punch Ieyoshi in the face. Yamamoto was a deeply unhappy person. At least that was what Tsuna had always observed from him. He was naturally cheerful, and spunky, and liked to smile, but Tsuna had always sensed that deep well of sadness that was overflowing. Those words might just be the end of him. After a few minutes of silence, Ieyoshi pretended to glance at his watch. "Oh man, Gokudera's going to get mad at me if I leave him hanging. We're almost finished, do you guys mind if I leave you two to finish up? I hate to do this, but I really need to go." Lies. But Yamamoto would never say no and Tsuna couldn't say anything at all, so Ieyoshi quickly left. When Ieyoshi was gone, Tsuna wasted no time in tapping the tall baseball player on the shoulder. Yamamoto turned around.

"Eh?" Tsuna tilted his head to the side, and gave him a soft, concerned look. Yamamoto's eyes widened, surprised that the silent boy could portray so much in an expression. He had always been curious about the silent boy, wondering why Tsuna didn't talk. He had a vague memory of knowing him in kindergarten, but that had been a long time ago, and Yamamoto couldn't even remember the sound of his voice. And ever since he had showed up to school that day with a bruise in the shape of a hand around his neck- well, nobody had stopped wondering what had happened to the pitiful boy.

_Are you okay?_ Yamamoto shook off his surprise and smiled back.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking, Tsuna." He went to pull away, but Tsuna's grip tightened on Yamamoto's shoulder. Tsuna looked at him evenly, and Yamamoto couldn't help but feel like the boy was looking into his very soul. Tsuna jerked a thumb, and Yamamoto understood that Tsuna wanted to say something about his brother. "What about Ieyoshi?" Tsuna shook his head, and Yamamoto could swear he heard the words as clear as day; what Tsuna wanted to say, but didn't, was just that obvious.

_Don't listen to my brother. _Yamamoto blinked.

"I shouldn't put more effort in?" Tsuna gave him a sorrowful look, and Yamamoto felt that someone truly understood how he felt underneath his smiles for a split second. Then the feeling passed, but he didn't forget it.

_That's for you to decide. _

XXXX

Tsuna had been feeling sick to his stomach about what his brother had said. He couldn't help but feel like something bad was about to happen with Yamamoto. This feeling was so strong, that during dinner, he took the liberty of sneaking into Ieyoshi's warzone of a room and hunting through it for his brother's phone. He found it quickly, and scrolled through the contacts. He entered it into his own phone, for a reason that only his intuition knew. No matter how creepy it seemed, he couldn't ignore the driving feeling that he should be able to contact Yamamoto quickly. And this was the best way to do it.

And the next day at school, he thanked every power in the universe that he did.

He had been in class, with Hana and Kyoko trying to talk to him. They were asking about Gokudera, who they had heard call him onii-san, and Ieyoshi being called Jyuudaime. They were curious about him, and even though Tsuna didn't talk, they understood him just fine. Gokudera was currently snapping at everyone who got within a five foot radius of Ieyoshi, while Ieyoshi sat back smugly in his chair, and used a very manipulative style to make Gokudera be his slave. He would ask for something kindly, but would say it was fine if he didn't, and make Gokudera stumble all over himself to get it. Then he would do something kind for Gokudera, something pitifully small in comparison for whatever Gokudera did, saying "It isn't much, but I just wanted to thank you" which made Gokudera bashful, and willing to do anything for his precious Jyuudaime. It was one of the few things that Ieyoshi did that truly disgusted Tsuna. It was beyond just dislike.

While they were talking to him, someone rushed into class, shrieking,

"YAMAMOTO'S ON THE ROOF! HE'S GOING TO JUMP!" Half the class ran screaming to the roof, with Tsuna thinking, _WHY DID YOU DO THIS IEYOSHI? WHY WOULD YOU HAVE SAID SOMETHING LIKE TH AT?_ He sprinted at top speed, making sure to lose Ieyoshi, Gokudera, Hana, and Kyoko in the crowd, so he could slip away, unnoticed. He had a plan.

He went to one of the buildings, one that wasn't close, but with a view of the roof of the building Yamamoto was going to jump off of. He climbed to the roof, and spotted Yamamoto outside the fence, looking down, ready to jump. He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed.

XXXX

"Yamamoto! Please don't jump!"

"Yeah Yamamoto-kun! Please don't! Just talk to us about this!" People screamed from the crowd, but no one wanted to get close enough. He wanted to laugh bitterly. These people didn't really know him. They just knew his baseball ability. Which he had lost. Lost completely. The broken arm with the possibly damaged nerve. His baseball career was probably going to be over. The team would hate him. The school would _loathe _him. He had nothing. It was just as Ieyoshi said.

"Sorry guys, but now that the Baseball God has thrown me away, I have nothing." He called back, that omni-smile never wavering. They screamed for him to get on the other side of the fence, not to jump, not to die, that they didn't care that he couldn't play baseball, but they were all lies. He had nothing. Death was his only escape.

Maybe he wouldn't jump if Ieyoshi tried to talk to him. If he tried to apologize, if he tried to say what he said wasn't true. Because truthfully, Yamamoto was a little scared of jumping. But when he saw Ieyoshi in the crowd, a moody expression, and heard his words ring painfully in his ears, he was damn sure he was more scared of living. He could hear him, even from the length away that Ieyoshi was standing.

"Tch. Pathetic." The silver-haired delinquent that was always raving about "Jyuudaime's kindness" didn't say anything either, and Yamamoto felt cold and hollow. Death would certainly be better. He turned to the edge. He was going to jump. He really would.

All of a sudden, his phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket, to blink at it. Either the caller had really bad timing, or really good timing. On a whim, he answered. Maybe he could have a normal conversation, and at least say goodbye to someone. He held it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

_"These times will try hard to define me._

_ And I'll try to hold my head up high._

_ But I've seen despair here from the inside,_

_ It's got a one-track mind."_

Yamamoto's eyes widened, at the gentle, hoarse, but painfully beautiful voice that came from the phone.

_"And I have this feeling in my gut now._

_ And I don't know what it is I'll find._

_ Does anybody, ever feel like,_

_ You're always one step behind?"_

_ "Now I'm sitting alone here on my bed_

_ I'm waiting for an answer I don't know that I'll get._

_ I can't stand to look in the mirror, I'm failing_

_ I'm telling you these times are hard,_

_ But they will_

_ Pass"_

_ "And I know there's someone out there somewhere,_

_ Who has it much worse than I do_

_ But I have a dream inside, a perfect life,_

_ I'd give anything just to work out_

_ It's like I'm only trying to dig my way out,_

_ Of all these things I can't and I am"_

_ "Sitting alone here on my bed,_

_ I'm waiting for an answer I don't know that I'll get_

_ I can't stand to look in the mirror, I'm failing,_

_ I'm telling you, these times are hard,_

_ But they will_

_ Pass_

_ They will pass_

_ They will pass_

_ These times are hard_

_ But they will pass"_

The gentle voice had cracked in a few places, like it wasn't used enough for practice, but the song kept going. Yamamoto found himself grateful that this person had the bravery to do so.

_"These times will try hard to define me._

_ But I will hold my head up high."_

_ "Sitting alone here on my bed,_

_ I'm waiting for an answer I don't know that I'll get,_

_ I can't stand to look in the mirror, I'm failing,_

_ I'm telling you, these times are hard,_

_ But they will pass"_

_ "And I know there's a reason_

_ I just keep hoping it won't be long 'til I see it_

_ And maybe if we throw up our hands and believe it_

_ I'm telling you these times are hard_

_ But they will pass_

_ They will pass_

_ They will pass_

_ These times are hard_

_ But they will pass." _When the song ended, working its way up and down from soft, to powerful, to soft and gentle again, with a heart-wrenching factor that made Yamamoto want to climb back over the fence and go home, a single tear rolled down his face. Whoever was singing it, clearly knew pain. But still had the courage to keep going, and reach out to those who felt like they couldn't.

_"Look around." _The voice was speaking now, and Yamamoto was not the least bit surprised that the regular voice was just as beautiful as the singing one. Yamamoto glanced around, but discovered he wasn't looking where he was supposed to when the voice spoke again. _"If you jump, I will too." _Yamamoto looked across the buildings, and gasped when he saw a figure holding something, standing outside the fence on another school building, prepared to jump, same as him. Yamamoto pressed the phone to his chest, and suppressed a jagged sob. He abruptly turned around and climbed back over the fence. He was not going to jump today. And he was never going to attempt to jump again.

"Yamamoto-kun! What did that caller say?!"

"Thank God he's alright!"

"What if he had actually jumped?!"

"Someone should thank that caller!" Yamamoto ignored them, watching the figure intently, hands curling in the chain links on the fence. True to his word, the caller had put away his phone, and was starting to climb over the fence. No one else had any idea where Yamamoto was looking, and they started to swarm him happily. When the figure was just beginning to climb down the other side, the unthinkable happened, and the fence broke. It started to crumple, with the figure beginning to fall. Yamamoto was unable to scream.

His fingers on the chain link fence tightened, and his body wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to run over and help, he wanted to scream for someone to help him, but there was nothing to be done. The one who had saved his life was falling to his death, and it was all Yamamoto's fault. He would never be able to live with himself.

A hand shot out- and latched onto the figure. Even though it was far away, Yamamoto could vaguely recognize the outfit of the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Hibari Kyoya. Hibari grabbed onto the falling figure and pulled him away from the falling fence. Yamamoto breathed a sigh of relief, and his fingers loosened on the fence. Hibari was pulling the figure to safety; his savior was alive. Another tear rolled down his cheek, but it was a tear of happiness this time.

Then the idea struck him- he should track down Hibari! Hibari would know who it was that had called! He tore straight through the crowd, brushing people aside, and attempted to hunt down Hibari as best he could, before students grabbed onto him, panicked at his manic behavior. They thought it was the stress of almost commiting suicide. They didn't know what to think. So he was forcefully dragged to the nurse's office, kicking and screaming, and sent home.

As soon as he got home, he found Takesushi, his family's sushi shop, closed. His father was standing in the middle of the room, waiting for Yamamoto expectantly, eyes filled with tears. Tsuyoshi, his father, opened his mouth to say something, but Yamamoto had been thinking of that beautiful song, and did something first. He ran straight to his father, hitting him with the force of a train, and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly, and sobbing into his shoulder. It was only a confused second before his father reciprocated the hug, also crying.

Later, when they were sitting at the bar, Tsuyoshi on one side, and Yamamoto sitting on a stool at the other, Yamamoto said,

"Someone talked me down." Tsuyoshi's head jerked up.

"Who was it?" He wanted to know who it was, so he could thank them for saving his boy's life.

"I don't know. I didn't see him. I got a call, when I was about to jump. He didn't talk, exactly. It was singing." Tsuyoshi blinked.

"Singing?" Yamamoto chewed a piece of food and nodded.

"It was beautiful. And a few of the lines really got to me; These times will try hard to define me, but I will hold my head up high. And; these times are hard, but they will pass. I guess…just the way he sang them sounded like he really understood exactly how I felt. Like he knew pain." Yamamoto's eyes had dropped. He said this nonchalantly, but Tsuyoshi knew how important those words had been to him. "At the end, he spoke. He told me to look around. I didn't seem him at first, but he was standing on one of the other buildings, outside the fence, ready to jump. He told me, "If you jump, I will too." Tsuyoshi listened intently to Yamamoto's recollection of the story. "Dad." He faced his father. "I'm never going to try to kill myself again. Even if I'm sad, it's too dangerous. That guy- he almost died because of my stupidity. When he was climbing back over, the fence broke. He would have fallen and died if Hibari hadn't grabbed him first. I-I can't ever do this again, knowing that actions that I thought were personal could get someone killed." Tsuyoshi smiled gently at his son.

"Takeshi, you weren't being stupid. How you feel is never stupid. Your sadness isn't either. Clearly, this boy knew that, or he wouldn't have taken his time to help you. I wish I could thank him for everything he's done for you." Yamamoto looked up at his father, tears pouring down his cheeks. He smiled, and for the first time in a long time, this one reached his eyes. It was like the sun shining through the rain- hopeful and alive.

"You and me both, Dad."


	4. Chapter 4

Song: shake it out by Florence + the Machine

Enjoy!

XXXX

Ever since that day when he talked Yamamoto out of suicide, he had been avoiding Hibari. He hadn't known that Hibari had been standing behind him for the whole song. He hadn't known that Hibari had heard him speak. But two things happened that day; Tsuna spoke for the first time in years, and he spoke to Hibari for the first time ever.

Upon being pulled back onto the building from Hibari, who looked curious, Tsuna's throat had immediately closed off. Actually, it was never that Tsuna couldn't speak. He just couldn't speak in front of people. Tsuna could probably talk to himself. He just chose not to. That was why he was able to speak to Yamamoto; as long as he wasn't face to face with him, his tongue moved freely. As soon as he knew someone was there, his throat closed up and his tongue went still, involuntarily. He literally couldn't speak if he tried. It was an automatic bodily response, a PTSD thing. It was psychosomatic. It was an inability to speak in front of others. But for some reason, when he had faced Hibari, his tongue had unstuck itself. His throat opened up. Just enough for him to say six words, before closing up again.

"Don't tell Yamamoto it was me." And then he had bolted. Like a coward. But speaking…scared him.

It was kind of ironic though. That he would be the first one he could speak to, face-to-face. The extreme glossophobic and the extreme demophobic. What a pair they made.

Well, Hibari had respected his wishes. He had seen Yamamoto pester Hibari in the halls plenty of times, only to be bitten to death and sent away. The boy just kept coming back, refusing to leave without being allowed to thank his savior. Only after two weeks, did Yamamoto give up, and only with the promise that Hibari would pass along the message. Hibari had stalked Tsuna down, passed on the message, and then Tsuna had gone back into hiding from the prefect. Hibari had made it quite clear why he kept pursuing Tsuna;

_"I want to know how an herbivore can become a carnivore with words alone."_ Tsuna was never sure if he should be offended or flattered.

Tsuna had also seen Reborn beating up Ieyoshi with the Leon mallet, for letting a natural hitman like Yamamoto slip through their fingers. Clearly, Reborn wanted Yamamoto in the Famiglia, but through certainly shady means, had discovered what Ieyoshi had said to Yamamoto. He knew that Yamamoto would never even consider it. Reborn had also discovered that the caller had sang to Yamamoto, (though Tsuna wasn't sure how; Yamamoto had remained tight-lipped about it. No one, and he meant _no one_ knew what that caller had said, besides Yamamoto himself, and perhaps his family.) and traced it back to Tsuna. He hadn't said anything to Tsuna, but the fluffy haired brunette could practically feel the warm approval exuding from Reborn whenever he saw him.

Ieyoshi was just at a loss of knowledge. It was almost pitiful.

XXXX

Reborn was inexplicably exuberant.

He really didn't know why himself. Why should he be so happy, when his student had just alienated a possible Famiglia member, and had only one, who would probably leave him in a second if he ever found out about his student's true nature?

So why was he so happy?

Maybe it was because he knew that the older twin, the one who he had no business training, had broken through one layer of his shell. The older twin had saved Yamamoto. He'd gone out of his way to help. He had been bold. He had been _brave. _And knowing all the events that occurred, Reborn was overjoyed at the obstacles Tsuna had overcome. In fact, with Reborn trying to train Ieyoshi, and all the trouble Ieyoshi was causing, Tsuna was getting more boss training than Ieyoshi was. Well, no, that wasn't true. He was _learning _more boss training than Ieyoshi. Because you could train and train someone until they died, and it didn't make a difference unless they learned it. Tsuna, Reborn had observed, was a fast learner.

Reborn was actually very curious to hear Tsuna's voice. He had heard him sing, so he suspected that his speaking voice was unusually beautiful too. But Reborn looked forward to something else; he wanted to hear Tsuna laugh. Reborn was going to gauge how well he was doing with Ieyoshi by Tsuna; the day Tsuna wasn't frightened to speak in his brother's presence, the day Tsuna could laugh with his twin, Reborn will have succeeded. No person should have to go so long without laughing.

XXXX

Bianchi was a hitwoman; a rather good one, in her opinion. She had taken out plenty of marks. She was a seasoned killer. She could kill a child, if she needed to. Personally, she preferred not to, and had never done so, but if she absolutely had to, she thought that she probably could.

Her next target (self-appointed) was the next Vongola Decimo, a Japanese boy by the name of Sawada Ieyoshi. Normally, she would never have cared in the slightest. Vongola gets a new boss. Woohoo. Throw a party. Whatever. But unfortunately, they had sent the love of her life, the number one hitman, Reborn, to tutor him. And Bianchi wasn't happy about being separated from the love of her life. She didn't want to lose him. Especially not to some pathetic foreign boy.

Demanding Nono to bring Reborn back was out of the question, and she couldn't make Reborn leave, so, she had come to the conclusion that the best way to get her lovely Reborn back was to simply off the Vongola Decimo, so they could return to Italy together, and never look back at this godforsaken land.

She thought it would be easy. Not only was the Vongola Decimo a teenage boy (she had no qualms about killing teenagers), but he was still relatively untrained. She knew her brother, Hayato had gone to Japan and gotten involved with the Vongola there, and was now a subordinate of Decimo, but today was the fourth Wednesday of the month. So that meant Hayato was gone, stocking up on dynamite. It was the perfect opportunity to kill Decimo.

She had a version of her Poison Cooking, a fizzy drink. She roared down the road on her motorcycle, until she caught up with a petite boy, who was walking to school. She was almost sure it was Decimo, so she jerked to a stop. The boy had turned to look curiously at her, and Bianchi faltered.

He looked like a bunny. Or some sort of precious, delicate, not-to-be-mistreated small animal. Large, innocent doe eyes, fluffy hair that begged to be touched, and almost pouty lips that were meant to be kissed. Change a few things, and he could easily be a girl. But what stopped her were yellowing, hand-shaped bruises over his arms and one around his neck, that was far darker than the rest. It could have been fresh. He just looked so…weak…beaten….and mistreated.

She would spare him the suffering, she decided. Someone as weak as him would surely be torn apart in the mafia world, and she would just spare him the pain now. She pulled off her helmet, making sure to flip her long hair. She smiled and batted her eyelashes at the cute little boy. She was a beautiful woman, and had always used that to her advantage. Instead of ogling her, like most would, he just gave her another curious look, eyes flicking from her face, to her tattoo, and back to her eyes. She felt another pang of guilt, but what had to be done, had to be done. If not for her, then to save him unbearable pain in the future.

She tossed a can of soda to the boy, batting her eyelashes some more.

"Here. Have a drink." He caught it easily, and she quickly drove off. She had death a million times, but she didn't want to watch him die.

Back where he was standing, Tsuna observed the drink and had the wayward idea of spiking Ieyoshi's drink with it. For some reason, his intuition told him that it would solve all his problems. He shrugged though, and walked across the street to drop it in the trash, before continuing on his way to school. Honestly, what kind of person would actually drink it? It was the same concept of accepting candy from strangers.

XXXX

By the time Tsuna got home, apparently, a plethora of terrible things had happened to Ieyoshi over the day. Among them, the discovery of the pretty woman that he had seen earlier was a hitwoman who was trying to kill Vongola Decimo. Her name was Bianchi and she was known as the Poison Scorpion, for poisoning food. He was suddenly very glad that he hadn't drank what she had given him, and very guilty that he had thought about making Ieyoshi drink it instead.

The moment he had started walking up the steps, Reborn had climbed on top of his head, stopped him from going into the house and explained this to him. When he was finished, Tsuna went into the house warily, and immediately was forced to dodge a purple sort of cake that certainly looked poisonous. It was oozing pus. That just wasn't right. Ieyoshi was in Dying Will mode, dodging Bianchi furiously, who was a whirlwind of poisonous food. Tsuna sighed internally, and walked towards the kitchen, weaving his way between blows and flying food. He wasn't really worried; it wasn't like Reborn would let Bianchi kill his brother. When he came into the kitchen, Nana was already getting dinner started. She turned around, smiling.

"Oh! Tsu-kun! Have you met Iey-kun's new friend?" Tsuna nodded, curious as to why his mother didn't ask why Reborn was sitting on his head. He had just gotten to the point where he realized that his mother interpreted anyone as their friends. Reborn was currently toying with a lock of Tsuna's hair. For once, he seemed to act his real age, fascinated by how soft it was. Tsuna felt Leon curl up on his head in a little nest of hair, and suppressed a laugh. Nana clapped her hands together. "Isn't she nice?" Tsuna nodded, and silently offered his help in the kitchen. Nana accepted, and they worked together to chop up vegetables and such, Nana chatting amiably to her son while he tried to ignore Bianchi's shouts of,

"DIE!" and the sound of Ieyoshi coming down from Dying Will mode and shrieking for help.

The door came open, and Gokudera burst in, shouting,

"Jyuudaime! I brought you some delicious watermelon-," There was a strange noise, and a thud, like someone fell to the ground. Tsuna poked his head out of the kitchen curiously, to see Gokudera lying on the ground, face green, holding his stomach like he had a stomachache. "Ugh…." He moaned. "Nee-san?"

"Poison Scorpion is Gokudera's older sister." Reborn informed Tsuna, who nodded. Bianchi sighed, and put her hand on her hip.

"Happy to see you too, Hayato." Even though Bianchi seemed like a difficult person, Tsuna could already tell that she loved her brother, even if the sight of her seemed to make him sick. Bianchi and Ieyoshi then resumed their fight, and Tsuna went back into the kitchen. They would stop them when dinner was ready.

Somehow, the two of them had kept up their feud that long, with Gokudera moaning on the floor, but when dinner was ready, Tsuna snuck out and tapped Bianchi on the shoulder. She wheeled around, cake in hand, but paused when she saw Tsuna.

"Oh!" She exclaimed softly. "You must be the twin. I'm sorry for trying to poison you this morning." She offered airily. Tsuna shrugged, and jerked a thumb to signal everyone to go into the kitchen.

"Dame-Tsuna's trying to say that dinner is ready and you're all invited." Bianchi smiled brightly,.

"Reborn! My love! This boy kept you safe!" She exclaimed. Tsuna sweatdropped, sensing something coming. _Not exactly…_ If she was anything like her slightly bipolar brother, then Tsuna had a feeling of what was coming. She threw her arms around Tsuna. "You are a wonderful person! Of course I'll join you for dinner!" Tsuna nodded, and slipped out of her grasp to go check up on Gokudera. She went to the kitchen for dinner. Ieyoshi sighed, and glared at Tsuna.

"THIS FREAK JUST TRIED TO KILL ME AND YOU'RE INVITING HER TO DINNER?" Tsuna gave him a weak look. "THERE'S NO WAY I'M EATING WITH HER!"

"Good." Reborn said. "Because when we said everyone was invited to dinner, we didn't mean you. Go put some clothes on, Ieyoshi. No one wants to see your scrawny body." Ieyoshi gaped at Reborn for a minute, before stomping off angrily, dragging an unconscious Gokudera with him. Reborn jumped off of Tsuna's head, and went to eat, holding a sleeping Leon, placing him on the brim of his hat. As Ieyoshi was dragging Gokudera up the stairs, with Tsuna at the foot of the stairs, trying to offer his help, suddenly, Ieyoshi jerked around and slapped Tsuna across the face so hard that his head jerked and banged against the banister. Ieyoshi punched him in the gut, and pushed him down with his foot angrily.

"Tch. You're a waste of space, Dame-Tsuna. You should just _die._" Ieyoshi declared, before spinning around and dragging Gokudera off, leaving the prone form of his brother on the ground, at the foot of the stairs. Bianchi and Reborn had heard the thud, and both stuck their heads out of the kitchen. Reborn immediately rushed over to check on Tsuna. Bianchi's eyes were wide.

"What just happened?" Reborn sighed, as he lifted up Tsuna's head, to check on the injuries of the unconscious boy.

"Ieyoshi can be violent and pushy, and unfortunately, I think he's the one person Tsuna will always refuse to fight back against." Bianchi raised an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't he fight back against that jackass?" Reborn twisted, to look at Bianchi, and tilted his fedora over his eyes solemnly.

"Because he loves his brother dearly, no matter how much Ieyoshi hates and abuses him." Bianchi went silent. She knew family love.

With the worst possible timing, Nana stepped outside the kitchen, and saw her oldest on the ground.

"Oh! Did Tsu-kun fall down the stairs again?" She wondered.

And no one ever asked what had happened to the watermelon.

XXXX

That night, Tsuna got his silent little bit of revenge. He animated a video on a loop of chibi Mochida and chibi Ieyoshi facing off against each other. Mochida was flinging his arm out, like he had when he had challenged Ieyoshi to the kendo match. This time, instead, he was yelling,

"KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON!" Chibi Ieyoshi ripped off his shirt, entering Dying Will mode, screaming,

"NO!" Perhaps that wasn't the best plan. Because he leaked it to every site middle schoolers might look at, and all everyone heard the next day was,

"KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON!"

"NO!"

"KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON!"

"NO!" Tsuna was subsequently forced to spend the rest of the day hiding from his brother. No one knew who had made the video, so it couldn't be traced back to him, but he didn't fancy being his twin's stress outlet.

However, when he got home, Reborn did grin at Tsuna, and when Ieyoshi wasn't around, said,

"Well played." Bianchi was too busy laughing her ass off at the video to notice the small exchange.

XXXX

"Wrong." BOOM.

"REBORN! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" Reborn was helping Ieyoshi with his homework again. Which meant blowing the boy up whenever he screwed up. He would also be blown up if he didn't answer fast enough. Once again, Tsuna thanked his lucky stars he hadn't been chosen to be a mafia boss.

Gokudera wasn't around today, so he couldn't protect Ieyoshi from the demon spawn that was Reborn. Bianchi was now going to be Ieyoshi's art and economics teacher, though that was probably just a cover to better her chances at assassinating the future Vongola Decimo. Apparently, growing up, Gokudera had been a very good pianist, and had many beautiful recitals.

For one recital, though, his sister had decided to make cookies. This was before her gift as Poison Scorpion was discovered, so they didn't know that _everything _she made turned into Poison Cooking. Gokudera had eaten one, and gotten food poisoning. But he still had to do the recital and his performance was so bizarre that it was considered artistic. Gokudera's father had demanded more recitals, so Bianchi made more cookies. And Gokudera had to eat them, or suffer his sister's sadness and his father's wrath. It was a vicious cycle that resulted in childhood trauma. Now, whenever Gokudera saw his sister, he got a stomachache. It was like Tsuna's psychosomatic inability to speak. There was nothing to be done.

Well, Bianchi was out getting ingredients for her Poison Cooking today, but Gokudera didn't know that. Reborn had lied and said Bianchi was going to be here today so he could tutor Ieyoshi without dealing with Gokudera.

"AHA! THE GREAT LAMBO-SAMA HAS ARRIVED!" A loud, childish voice called. Tsuna's head jerked up. Was that a kid?

"Do this one next." Reborn told Ieyoshi, ignoring the child that Tsuna was sure was there. That was kind of cold.

"Reborn? What about that kid? Do you know him?"

"Get a move on, Ieyoshi-baka. You have more problems to do."

"But there's a _kid _on my window!" Ieyoshi whined. "Do you know him?"

"The great Lambo-sama is a hitman!" The child cried out. Tsuna wanted to facepalm.

"I don't associate with mafia families below me." Reborn explained. "Now, get back to work." Ieyoshi must have decided he could ignore Lambo the same way, and Tsuna heard the child's desperate cries to be noticed.

"GET OUR OF HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Ieyoshi shouted, losing his temper. There was a loud thud, and the sound of a child's tears. Tsuna started to get up from his bed to go see what was going on, when there was a huge BANG! Like a grenade. Smoke was slipping under the door and into the hall. Tsuna blinked, and went back to sitting on his bed. "Now that the stupid cow is gone, I can focus." Ieyoshi said confidently.

"That's nice for you." Reborn said dryly.

Downstairs, the doorbell rang, and Nana must have answered it. There was a childish shout of,

"You fell for it!" And the child rushed back in. Tsuna blinked again. What the hell had happened in there? Had someone thrown the child out the window or something? Tsuna poked his head out of his room to see a small, adorable, five-year-old boy in a cow suit, with a tail, and horns. He had large green eyes, and Tsuna thought he could just hug him to death. Granted, the kid was probably very self-centered, but that didn't take away from his cuteness at first glance. The cow-child didn't even turn to see Tsuna, just headed straight for Ieyoshi's room. Tsuna followed, curious.

"Lambo-sama is back!" Lambo yelled. "He is here to assassinate Reborn."

_Seems like an awfully big job for a kid…._

"I'll take that as a compliment." Reborn informed Tsuna, who almost jumped out of his skin.

"DIE REBORN!" Lambo attacked, and Reborn simply smacked him in the head with his Leon mallet, sending Lambo flying cross the room, without ever looking at the kid. Even Ieyoshi sweatdropped.

"Now, complete problem seven." Reborn said calmly. The kid peeled his face off the floor, tears in his eyes.

"Tol-er-ate." He muttered, sounding upset. Suddenly, he sprang to his feet. "Ahahaha! Lambo-sama tripped! The great Bovino Lambo-sama who likes grape candy and was sent here to assassinate Reborn by his father, tripped!" Tsuna really felt for the little boy, who was fighting back tears. _He's still trying to introduce himself while crying…._ Ieyoshi snorted.

"Screw off, kid. No one wants you here." If Tsuna ever decided to talk on a constant basis again, he swore to himself that the first thing he would do would be to tell Ieyoshi how his horrible words hurt others. Tsuna could see the well of tears in Lambo's eyes. He didn't hesitate to walk over and pick the sniffling child up. Lambo looked up at him with wide eyes, and Tsuna gave him a look that spoke clearly;

_I recognize you. _Because that's all the little boy really wanted. Lambo's sniffles became a little quieter.

"Who are you? You look a lot like the meanie boy." Before Tsuna could panic about how he was going to answer the child, Reborn jumped in.

"His name was Sawada Tsuna. He doesn't talk much." Ieyoshi snorted.

"Pathetic Dame-Tsuna doesn't talk at all. You two can be losers together." Reborn slammed his Leon mallet into Ieyoshi's head, who cowered before him. Tsuna held Lambo and left the room before anything could happen. He went back to his room, and set Lambo on the bed. He looked around in his room for a bit, and found some grape candy, which he offered to Lambo. Lambo looked up at him with big eyes.

"The great Lambo-sama accepts your candy!" He exclaimed. Clearly, he was feeling better. Tsuna rolled his eyes, but gave Lambo the candy anyways, and sat on the edge of the bed, patting him on the head. As Lambo ate the candy, he started talking. "Lambo-sama was sent here on a very important mission. A while back ago, Lambo-sama met Reborn in a bar-," Tsuna didn't even blink at that statement. "-, and Reborn was blowing bubbles out of his nose-," Tsuna winced. No wonder Reborn didn't recall ever meeting Lambo. Reborn had a creepy habit of sleeping with his eyes open, and if he was blowing bubbles out of his nose, that meant it was a snot bubble. He also slept in the oddest of places at the oddest of times. "-, and Lambo-sama had grape juice. Then, Lambo-sama's father told him that if he wanted to make his family proud, he had to kill the number one hitman, Reborn. Lambo-sama can do it of course, he just doesn't feel like it." Lambo declared. Tsuna gave him a soft smile, and shot him a thumbs up. Hey, shoot for the moon. Lambo smiled and got giddy.

"Lambo-sama needs to kill Reborn, because then he'll finally take his rightful place at the top of the mafia world and be recognized by all and Mama will love me like she loves my sister." Lambo said, crossing his arms and smiling. Tsuna tried not to wince again. The poor boy just wanted to be acknowledged (he also did wonder how Lambo was using such big words and speaking in Japanese; he was like, five, right? And Italian).

_People will love you._ Tsuna's message got through, because Lambo brightened at Tsuna again.

"Of course they will! I'm the great Lambo-sama!" They started to play a few games; Tsuna broke out his old chessboard and purposely lost, though Lambo wasn't using the pieces right anyways. They played Trouble. They played Sorry. They played Checkers. Tsuna made sure he alternated between winning or losing (though he really did lose Sorry to Lambo; it was a major blow to his pride), to make Lambo feel good, but so he also knew that he might lose sometimes. For some reason, Tsuna felt like no one else would bother. After some games, Lambo abruptly asked,

"Where did Tsuna get those bruises?" Tsuna's eyes flicked to the door instinctively, and Lambo noticed. "Did the meanie give them to him?" He demanded. Tsuna didn't believe in lying to children; look where it had gotten his father. So he nodded. Lambo sat down in Tsuna's lap, arms crossed. "The great Lambo-sama shall protect you from the meanie!" He declared. Tsuna gave Lambo an amused expression and a small hug. From the way Lambo's eyes lit up, he could tell it meant the world to him.

XXXX

The next day, at school, Tsuna had the misfortune of running into Hibari. Literally.

Normally, he would have been paying attention, and wouldn't have run into him, but Lambo and Ieyoshi had kept him up half the night. If Ieyoshi hadn't been there, Tsuna probably would have sang Lambo to sleep; he could have probably turned off the lights and imagined that he wasn't face to face with Lambo. But Ieyoshi was there, and if he heard Tsuna's voice, Tsuna would have probably been beaten into a coma.

Ieyoshi always hated Tsuna's voice; talking, singing, laughing. No matter what. Tsuna had always imagined that because of Ieyoshi's extreme superiority complex, he couldn't stand the thought of his dame brother being better than him, in any way. After all, Ieyoshi was tone deaf. Originally, it had only frustrated Ieyoshi as a child, for Tsuna to be better than him in one thing, and it was something for Ieyoshi to reach for. A goal. And it actually was a pretty positive one. But then the years passed, with each of them being more damaged, Ieyoshi far more negatively than Tsuna, despite what things may seem. And because of that, Ieyoshi began to discover a newfound hatred for Tsuna's voice, and finally discovered how to silence Tsuna. At least Tsuna knew where Ieyoshi's goddamned superiority complex stemmed from; the root of the problem was the abandonment issues with their father.

But anyways, he literally ran into Hibari. The hallway was crowded, and normally, Hibari would never walk through it during passing period, when students were actually supposed to be there, but clearly, he had something important to do. The hallway had fallen silent, hoping that it would be enough to keep Hibari from biting them all to death. Tsuna hadn't noticed; he was thinking hard about some Vongola information. He crashed straight into Hibari, full frontal impact, his face smacking into Hibari's chest as he did. Hibari remained sturdy, but Tsuna slipped to the ground, blinking, hard. He glanced up at Hibari, and he could hear the hallway gasp. They thought Hibari was going to kill him. Tsuna simply slipped his bag back over his shoulder, climbed to his feet, and gave a small bow.

_Gomen._ He moved out of Hibari's way and kept walking. Honestly, why was everyone so afraid? Hibari actually wasn't half as volatile as he seemed. Once you knew what made him want to bite people to death, it was pretty easy to be civil to each other. Hibari wasn't so vicious as to bite someone to death just because they bumped into him. He would most likely think of them as a klutzy herbivore, and dislike the contact, but as long as you apologized, and remained unherbivorous about it, he wouldn't hurt anyone. People were terrible about the way they judged people.

As Tsuna walked to class, he heard someone shout,

"Hey! Tsuna! Wait up!" He turned, to see Yamamoto jogging to catch up with him. Now that Hibari was out of the vicinity, people were "crowding". Yamamoto smiled down at the petite boy, and slung his uninjured arm around Tsuna's shoulders. Tsuna stiffened a little, but not a lot. "I just wanted to say thank you for the advice." Tsuna blinked at Yamamoto. He was one hundred percent sure that Yamamoto still didn't know who had sang to him, but he didn't know when he had given any advice.

_Huh? _Yamamoto let out an easy laugh.

"I guess it probably didn't seem like advice at the time, considering I didn't follow it, but when we were sweeping up and you said not to listen to Ieyoshi." Tsuna nodded, recalling what he had said. Yamamoto grinned down at him. "I know I didn't listen, but thanks for trying to tell me anyways. I think I know what you meant now about deciding for myself." Tsuna nodded again, shrugging.

_It's no big deal. You're free to use it however you wish. _Yamamoto glanced down the hall, smile still wide.

"Can I tell you something? I mean, I know you won't tell anyone, because I don't think you're that kind of person, but do you mind listening?" Tsuna shook his head and motioned for Yamamoto to continue. They had their next class together, which was in another building, so they walked outside. Yamamoto had his face tilted up towards the sunny sky now, and Tsuna couldn't quite see his expression. "I'm sure you know what happened up on the roof. With the caller and all. It's just…I haven't told anyone besides my dad this, but the caller didn't exactly _speak to me_. He talked a little at the end, but it was only two sentences, and seven words." Yamamoto's voice had grown a little heavier. Not sad, but serious and thoughtful.

"But he sang to me. And I don't care who he really is, but in one call, he's the bravest person I've ever known, and I'm glad I got the privilege of listening to him. I guess it doesn't seem like much- it was just a call, right? You can't really be brave with words….or at least I always used to think that. But that's not true at all." Yamamoto seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, and Tsuna was glad that Yamamoto wasn't looking at him- so he couldn't see the growing smile on Tsuna's face. Yamamoto blinked, and turned back to Tsuna, the cheerful air back. Tsuna made sure to drop the smile on his face before Yamamoto could see it. Yamamoto unslung his arm from around Tsuna.

"Sorry if I wasted your time. I don't really know why I told you that." He rubbed the back of his neck, with a sheepish smile on his face. "I just felt like you would understand." Tsuna touched Yamamoto's shoulder. He didn't nod or shake his head, but gave him an indescribable expression, one that Yamamoto understood all the same. Yamamoto brightened, genuinely, and laughed. "Thanks for listening Tsuna. You really are a great guy. I'll see you around." Tsuna waved as Yamamoto departed, catching up to a few teammates, to chat cheerfully with them.

Someone slammed into Tsuna from behind, hard enough to knock him onto his hands and knees. Tsuna fell, and he felt his palms smart after scraping against the ground. A snort came from behind him. He looked up. It was another student, who had bullied him before.

"Remember, Dame-Tsuna, that just because you've somehow gotten Yamamoto to like you, you're still a pathetic little shit that doesn't deserve to live." Tsuna didn't even wince. Nor did he look the student in the eyes. He just gathered his things, and got to his feet. When the student tried to sneer at him, and push him again, Tsuna turned around and looked at the student. He really _looked _at him. And narrowed his eyes. The innocent doe eyes that people regularly saw became filled with depth. And suddenly, the bully that had seemed so larger than life before, was very, very small. The student's eyes widened.

_There aren't pathetic people, or pathetic things. Just small people who do small things. And you are very, very small inside. _The student shivered, and darted away quickly, wondering who that person could possibly be, who stood where Dame-Tsuna had just a moment ago. Tsuna turned, and started to walk to class, only to find Yamamoto and his teammates gaping at him. Apparently, when they heard him being bullied, they had turned around to help him, but discovered they didn't need to. Tsuna blinked at them, his eyes becoming wide and innocent again. He tilted his head, and shrugged his shoulders, and for the first time in a long time, gave a smile that went as far as to show his teeth. It was sheepish and apologetic, but it was progress. They stood still for a moment, before Yamamoto burst out,

"That was so cool!" Tsuna ended up walking to class with the three of them, happy to be included in their conversation, even if he wasn't contributing vocally.

Even Gokudera's random fussing about his hands, and who the hell had hurt Onii-san couldn't bring down his good mood. For once, he was involved actively with Hana, Kyoko, Yamamoto and a few other students.

Even Ieyoshi's frozen smile had no effect on him. He knew he would regret it later, but he didn't now, and now was all he had. And he was okay with that.

It was like Ieyoshi felt his control slip over his twin a little. Not by much. Only by a hair. And it was something that could easily be regained, which Ieyoshi planned to do as soon they got home, and were out of sight of Reborn and Gokudera. But the fact was that it had happened, and it could happen again.

Unknown to all of them, a certain skylark had observed all the events. From the talk with Yamamoto, until they were in the classroom. A bloodthirsty smile crawled across his face. _There _was the carnivore he was looking for. He turned on his heel, and stalked off, a plan forming in his head. His jacket billowed behind him.

XXXX

Tsuna was having a good day. So that meant it was time to go up to the roof. Ironically enough, he went up to the roof with the broken fence. The section where it had broken was crossed off with tape, but Tsuna didn't think much of it. He pulled the tape off, and climbed onto the ledge, where he sat, with one leg propped up on the ledge, and the other hanging off. He didn't think he would fall. And even if he did, he was strong enough to pull himself back on. Just that one time- when the fence broke, he had been in the middle of climbing down on it. He couldn't _reach _the ledge. He was feet away, and already plummeting. Glancing down, he realized that he hadn't exactly been afraid of falling. It just instilled a deep sense of regret.

He cleared his throat, and opened his mouth, prepared to sing.

XXXX

It was weird.

One moment, Yamamoto was in the middle of class, and the next thing he knew, Hibari had barged in and demanded to pull Yamamoto out of class. Nobody disobeyed him of course, and Yamamoto was dragged off, but he couldn't help but wonder why. Hibari had him by the arm, and was towing him up the stairs, to the roof where Yamamoto had seen the singing figure and Hibari before. While they were climbing the stairs, he started to ask,

"What are we doing-," Hibari silenced him by clamping a hand over his mouth. Hibari stopped on the stairs, and faced him, eyes narrowed.

"If you speak before I say you can, I will rip your tongue out." Normally, Yamamoto would have just brushed it off and laughed. Hibari was a pretty extreme guy, but he didn't cause permanent damage very often. But there was something serious in Hibari's eyes, so Yamamoto clamped his mouth shut and nodded to show he understood. Hibari turned, and pulled him up the stairs until they reached the door. When they did, Hibari opened the door very slowly, and a voice started to reach Yamamoto's ears.

_"Regrets collect, like old friends._

_ Here to relive, your darkest moments_

_ I can see no way, I can see no way." _

This was the singer. This was the singer! Yamamoto could barely contain his excitement. Now he understood why Hibari was so tight-lipped about it. He had probably been sworn into secrecy, not to tell Yamamoto. That didn't mean he couldn't _show_ him. Hibari really wasn't such a bad guy.

Hibari led him out of the stairwell, closing the door gently behind him. Yamamoto's mouth fell open, as he recognized the figure sitting on the ledge. But he didn't say anything. Because he wanted to hear the song. It was perfect, rising and falling wonderfully, with a way of getting into your head.

_ "And all of the ghouls come out to play._

_ And every demon wants his pound of flesh._

_ But I like to keep some things to myself._

_ I like to keep my issues drawn._

_ It's always darkest before the dawn."_

Yamamoto smiled. Somehow, even without meaning to, the singer knew exactly what to sing, to describe how Yamamoto felt. The song picked up wonderfully here.

_ "And I've been a fool and I've been blind._

_ I can never leave the past behind._

_ I can see no way, I can see no way._

_ I'm always dragging that horse around._

_ Our love is questioned, such a mournful sound._

_ Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground._

_ So I like to keep my issues drawn,_

_ But it's always darkest before the dawn."_

And right after that line, the petite singer, who seemed like he would have a soft, gentle voice, turned into a powerhouse.

_ "Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa._

_ Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa._

_ And it's hard to dance, with a devil on your back,_

_ So shake him off, oh whoa."_

_ "And I am done with my graceless heart._

_ So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart._

_ Cause I like to keep my issues drawn._

_ It's always darkest before the dawn."_

_ "Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa._

_ Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa._

_ And it's hard to dance, with a devil on your back,_

_ So shake him off, oh whoa."_

Yamamoto found himself glancing over at Hibari. Hibari looked stoic about the song, but Yamamoto could swear he saw the faint flicker in Hibari's eyes. He wasn't sure what of, but it was certainly there. And Yamamoto found himself wishing desperately that he could see the singer's face during this song.

_ "And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back_

_ And given half the chance, would I take any of it back?_

_ It's a fine romance, but it's left me so undone._

_ It's always darkest before the dawn."_

_ Oh whoa, oh whoa…._

_ "And I'm damned if I do, and I'm damned if I don't._

_ So here's to drinks in the dark, at the end of my road_

_ And I'm ready to suffer, and I'm ready to hope,_

_ It's a shot in the dark, aimed right at my throat._

_ 'Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me._

_ Looking for heaven, found the devil in me._

_ Well, what the hell, I'm gonna let it happen, to me, yeah."_

_ "Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa._

_ Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa._

_ And it's hard to dance, with a devil on your back,_

_ So shake him off, oh whoa."_

_ "Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa._

_ Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa._

_ And it's hard to dance, with a devil on your back,_

_ So shake him off, oh whoa."_

The singer added a few vocal effects afterwards, humming, rising and falling, and Yamamoto knew there was no way in hell he would stop him, if that person wanted to sing.

"Tsuna." Yamamoto's own voice sounded foreign to him, he thought, his voice cracking with emotion. Tsuna whirled around so quickly that Yamamoto was worried he would fall off the ledge. Tsuna's eyes widened, and his face flamed. Yamamoto just gave him a sad smile, and walked over, wrapping his arms around the petite boy tightly. He hugged him. "Thank you so goddamned much." Yamamoto wasn't one for swearing, nor the tears that were pricking his eyes, but he couldn't control it. Tsuna stilled in his arms, but at least he didn't pull away.

"No public displays of affection or you will be bitten to death." Hibari's monotone broke through the moment. Yamamoto laughed as he pulled back, and laughed harder, when he saw the look of relief on Tsuna's red, red face. Hibari was not amused.

"Tsuna, I never had any idea you could sing, let alone _talk._ Thank you for talking for me." Tsuna just nodded, and leaned against the sturdier part of the fence, pulling his knees to his chest. He buried his face against his knees, embarrassed. Yamamoto most certainly didn't like Tsuna like _that_, but it was cute how embarrassed he was. "I wonder what people would-," Tsuna's head lifted up, and his hand latched onto Yamamoto's wrist. He shook his head furiously, blushing, and mouth opening and closing, like he was trying to speak, but didn't know how. Fortunately, Yamamoto understood every word of it.

_You can't-Please don't-People can't know-_

"I won't tell anyone." Yamamoto promised. "Clearly, you don't want people to know, or you wouldn't have asked Hibari not to tell me." That seemed to register in Tsuna's mind, and he glared at Hibari, and they both knew the words that Tsuna was thinking.

_Traitor._

"Hn."

"I know that you asked Hibari not to tell me, but I was wondering," Yamamoto started, curious about something. "You didn't ask him not to tell other people, did you?" Tsuna's eyes widened, as he realized that he, in fact, had not. "Well then why hasn't he told anyone?" They both looked to Hibari, who offered them nothing. It suddenly clicked in Yamamoto's head. "Hibari didn't want to share you!" Even Hibari's eyes widened. He pulled out his tonfas. If Tsuna talked, he would have spluttered.

"Herbivore, I don't know what exactly you are suggesting, but if you don't stop this instant, I will bite you to death." Yamamoto laughed brightly.

"Thanks for sharing him with me Hibari!"

"Silence, herbivore."

"Aw. You're embarrassed!"

"I am a carnivore. Carnivores do not get embarrassed." Yamamoto didn't really believe him, and laughed as Hibari chased him around the roof. He even laughed when Hibari beat him down for laughing (even when Yamamoto protested about being injured, Hibari told him to stop making excuses and beat him down twice as hard). Because he knew that Hibari was embarrassed, and that was okay. It was sweet…in a twisted sort of way. Tsuna just buried his head in his hands and refused to look at either of them. It was adorable. After the commotion died down, and Hibari was busy sitting on the ledge and cleaning blood off of his tonfas, he said, "You herbivores should get to class. Or I will bite you to death." Yamamoto nodded and laughed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Tsuna climbed off the ledge and did the same. Yamamoto slung his arm around Tsuna.

"By the way, that song was spectacular. It was breathtaking. You should sing more often. I know for sure that Hibari and I would listen."

"Herbivore." Hibari warned. Yamamoto was tapdancing on his last nerve. Yamamoto snickered.

"Aw, Hiba-kun is shy." That was apparently the last straw (partially due to the fact that it was dangerously true, and partially due to the ridiculous nickname, even though Tsuna found it a little cute), and the rest of the period was spent with Hibari hunting Yamamoto through the halls of the school, with Tsuna trailing behind both of them weakly. While it was all disturbing on levels Tsuna had never imagined, he had to admit, it wasn't a particularly bad time.

When he got back to class with Yamamoto, practically everyone was on their feet, demanding to know if Hibari had hurt either of them. Yamamoto was showing off some pretty impressive bruises, grinning, and Gokudera was about ready to give Tsuna a full medical examination, just to make sure "that the bastard didn't hurt Onii-san", even when Tsuna assured him that he hadn't been injured in any way, and that he wasn't made of glass. Honestly, if Gokudera found the smallest cut, he would probably demand a full surgical procedure. But it was nice to have such a protective friend, even if Tsuna had to live with the fact that his brother was playing the poor boy like a violin. Gokudera deserved better.

XXXX

Once again, Yamamoto was sitting at the sushi bar while his dad worked. It had become habit for him to sit there and talk to his dad every day after school. He would help his dad run the shop and would interact with customers. His father had been so happy about Yamamoto opening up a little more. He swore, that when he found out who had saved his boy, that he would shower him with gifts and love only a father could give. Because in Tsuyoshi's eyes, Yamamoto's savior was the gift from above that kept on giving.

So far, almost all the regulars knew about his crusade to find the boy who had saved his life. When he sat down today, a man called Matsumoto asked,

"So, Yamamoto-kun, have you found him yet?" Yamamoto smiled.

"Found him today." Half the shop erupted into applause. Yamamoto smiled. Yes, Tsuna certainly deserved applause. When it died down, another man, Tachibana, asked,

"What was he like? And how did you find him?" Yamamoto took a sip of water. He held the attention of the entire restaurant.

"Well, you guys all know about Hibari, right?" Most of the restaurant shivered at the name, but motioned for him to continue. "Well, for some reason, even though I've been pestering him for the past couple weeks to show me to the guy who saved me, he finally decided to today. Apparently, he couldn't break some sort of pact, where he wasn't allowed to tell me. But he had an opportunity today to _show me._ I was really surprised that he would do something so nice, but I think I know why he did it. And mind you, it isn't because he's going soft, so you don't want to let that spread back to him." Yamamoto informed TakeSushi.

"So why did he show you?" Watanabe asked. Yamamoto shook his head.

"I couldn't really explain it. It's something you have to know that person to understand." The shop seemed to understand what Yamamoto meant.

"What was he like?" Matsumoto wondered. Yamamoto's smile lit up his eyes.

"Far better than anything I could have expected." Yamamoto said confidently. The room exploded into applause again.


	5. Chapter 5

Songs: my blood by Ellie Goulding and Fade Away by Automatic Loveletter

Enjoy!

XXXX

"Onii-san!" a voice yelled. Tsuna, who was walking home, turned around. It had been a few days since Yamamoto had found out the truth, and now he was constantly hanging around Tsuna, so he hadn't seen much of Gokudera or Ieyoshi. Tsuna smiled and slowed down for Gokudera could catch up. The silver haired bomber fell into step next to Tsuna. Tsuna tilted his head curiously.

_Where's Iey-kun? _Gokudera shook his head.

"He said he needed to go home for something and skipped out earlier." _Is he okay?_ Tsuna's mouth opened to ask, and he promptly shut it, eyes wide. It wasn't that he almost spoke; he was nowhere near able to do that, especially not to Gokudera, who was too close to Ieyoshi for that to ever be safe. Besides, his throat was still closed up, and his tongue still. Even if he had tried, he would have been physically unable to make a sound. But that's what surprised Tsuna. That he _tried._ Normally, he would never attempt it. Shaking off his shock, he portrayed his message to Gokudera.

_Is Iey-kun okay?_ Gokudera nodded.

"Jyuudaime is just fine. But I thought I would take this opportunity to talk to you, Onii-san. I feel like I haven't seen you in days." Tsuna gave him a small smile, and touched his shoulder. "And I was wondering why that bast- I mean baseball player suddenly started hanging around you." Tsuna gave him a curious look. "I'm not judging your choice in friends, Onii-san. I would never do that. But if you ask me, it seems suspicious." Gokudera informed him. "I mean, what if he's a hitman or something, and he's just trying to use you as leverage? I've heard Reborn-san say that he was a natural born hitman or something. I don't him to hurt you, Onii-san." Tsuna smiled a little wider, touched by the concern. Gokudera brightened like a little puppy when Tsuna touched his shoulder again.

_You can trust Yamamoto._ Tsuna assured Gokudera, who looked wary, but nodded.

"I notice that your grades have been rising, Onii-san. Has Reborn been tutoring you also?" Tsuna nodded.

_He really explains things well._ Or at least for me. Tsuna wanted to add that on, but Gokudera still had no idea that Reborn was constantly blowing his brother up, and Tsuna decided it was probably best to keep it that way.

"How would you like to work on homework with Jyuudaime and I? Reborn-san asked me to help Jyuudaime with his homework, and the both of us could be a huge help." Gokudera offered. Quickly, almost nervously, he added on afterwards, "Unless, of course, you're busy, and then you definitely don't have to Onii-san, I would hate to intrude on your precious tim-," Tsuna clapped a hand over Gokudera's mouth, and tried not to seem too shocked at his own bold actions. He took his hand off of Gokudera's mouth, and smiled at the boy.

_I would love to help, if Iey-kun lets me._ Gokudera looks overjoyed. Tsuna couldn't help but think that if Hibari had been there, he would have bitten Gokudera to death for his "herbivorous babbling".

When they finally met up with Ieyoshi, and Gokudera explained the situation, Ieyoshi was _fuming._ No one besides Reborn and Tsuna could tell, but Tsuna was scared to death and Reborn was highly amused. Still, somehow, they actually managed to help Ieyoshi with his homework and teach him something. Both Tsuna and Gokudera were strange teachers, but somehow, they managed to even each other out. Gokudera was too loud, and Tsuna was too quiet, but together, they were Super Sensei Tag Team, as Lambo happily coined them, until Gokudera shrieked something about a stupid cow and threw Lambo out the window. Clearly, Tsuna was missing something. Lambo wasn't even being _that _annoying. Thankfully, the cow-child was resilient, but he clung to Tsuna after that, and Gokudera kept screaming about, "AHOSHI, STOP BEING SO AFFECTIONATE WITH ONII-SAN!" Tsuna thought that was a little hypocritical, considering what Gokudera was calling him, but let it slide, because he wasn't a huge fan of conflict. Someone always ended up hurt.

Lambo stuck his tongue out at Gokudera and they threw grenades and dynamit until Tsuna put both of them in a time-out, in separate corners of the room, and attempted to teach his brother on his own. He actually wasn't that bad, and his brother learned a little, but Tsuna shivered every time his brother looked at him with hateful eyes.

Later, after Tsuna offered to get snacks, Lambo followed Tsuna down the stairs to the kitchen. Lambo had started a habit of following Tsuna around the house. He had, in fact, tried to come to school with him one day, and had succeeded by sneaking into his backpack. With Yamamoto and Hibari's help (Hibari spent most of the time beating Yamamoto senseless though while Tsuna just sat off to the side with Lambo and observed, occasionally giving a message of; _Get on Hibari's nerves, and that will be you, Lambo _(hey, it was scary, but educational)), he managed to sneak Lambo back home. Hibari had bitten him to death for it, but not nearly as much as Yamamoto, who had a talent for annoying Hibari. And Yamamoto _loved it._

Bianchi was just coming in. When she saw Tsuna, she came over and hugged him, exclaiming,

"Good afternoon, Tsu-chan!" Bianchi had taken to calling Tsuna that because she had proclaimed him the most adorable thing ever next to Reborn (who had been her lover, apparently. She had been his fourth one. Tsuna wondered how that worked, but was too afraid of mental scarring if he ever found out how.), and was very affectionate with him. She had practically adopted him as a younger brother, especially since he was so kind to her actual younger brother. And whenever she saw Tsuna with Lambo, her kawaii sense went off and she kept snapping pictures of the two of them. She just loved the idea of big brother Tsuna. He smiled at her, and gave her his version of a response. Tsuna went into the kitchen and picked up snacks.

When he went back up, he immediately scribbled in the corner of his paper, BIANCHI IS HERE and showed it to Gokudera. Tsuna often warned Gokudera whenever Bianchi was around, because he knew Gokudera would die inside if he humiliated himself again in front of his Jyuudaime. Gokudera nodded and thanked Tsuna profusely, before bowing to Ieyoshi and climbing out the window. Tsuna scratched the back of his neck. Maybe he should have reminded him that there was an easier way out of the house.

Anyways, Ieyoshi and Tsuna soon ended up going downstairs, called down by Nana.

"I need to go to the store to pick up some food for the week. Would anyone like to come with me, to pick out the things they want?" Nana offered sweetly, picking up her purse. Reborn immediately volunteered. He would probably raid the store of all their coffee. The man/baby was a caffeine fiend. Tsuna would hate to see him without his coffee in the morning. Lambo asked to go next, probably for more grape candy.

"Mama! Lambo wants to go!" He exclaimed, jumping up and down, reaching for Nana, who cooed and picked the little boy up. Tsuna had somehow managed to get Lambo out of the habit of calling himself Lambo-sama. The little boy still did it sometimes, but far less often. It would be better for Lambo in the long run.

"I need to pick up some materials for my Poison Cooking." Bianchi mentioned. "Do you mind if I come along? I'll pay for myself." Nana waved a hand dismissively.

"I would love for you to come! Tsu-kun, Iey-kun, do you two want to come?" Unknown to the twins, they simultaneously shook their heads, and for a moment, they looked very much alike. Nana nodded at them, and smiled. "You two be good." While Nana was speaking, Bianchi and Reborn looked straight at Tsuna. They knew that Ieyoshi might try to attack him now. Ieyoshi had been good lately; even with mafia training. Reborn thought he saw some improvement. But they all knew that it was going to come sooner or later, and this was the best opportunity.

Instead of shying away from the eye contact, Tsuna faced the two of them, eyes serious.

_I'll be fine._ And they trusted him.

Soon, everyone cleared out of the house. Both Ieyoshi and Tsuna watched outside the window, as they drove away. The sun was setting on the horizon, painting the sky a burnt sienna. After they were out of view, it was only a matter of when Tsuna was going to run. The twins stayed frozen for a minute, before Tsuna darted. Ieyoshi sprinted up the stairs after him, with an angry, animal-like war cry. Tsuna was faster though, and he slammed his door shut and locked it before Ieyoshi could get in.

"LET ME IN YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT. I'M GOING TO RIP YOU TO SHREDS FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. YOU NEED TO LEARN YOUR PLACE, TRASH. NOW LET ME THE HELL IN!" Tsuna let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, and sat in the middle of the floor, legs pulled up to his chest. He rested his head on his knees, trying to block out the sound of his twin pounding on the door and screaming angrily. When Ieyoshi got in, Tsuna was going to receive one hell of a beating. But he was never going back. Not to how it was, constantly being afraid of Ieyoshi. He hated it. Having his life controlled by him. He was breaking free. Maybe just a little, but the first step was always the hardest. But then every step after that would be so goddamned easy.

He couldn't fight back physically, but he had proved before, that sometimes, you didn't need your fists to fight. He would do the one thing he would never have done in a million years.

_"That feeling that doesn't go away, just did._

_ And I walked a thousand miles to prove it._

_ And I'm caught, in the crossfire of my own thoughts,_

_ The color of my blood, is all I see on the rocks_

_ As you sail from me."_

"YOU BETTER SHUT THE HELL UP RIGHT NOW!" Ieyoshi shrieked through the door, but Tsuna was ready to raise his voice and drown him out.

_"Alarms will ring, for eternity_

_ The waves, will break, every chain on m_

_ My bones will bleach_

_ My flesh will flee_

_ So help my lifeless frame to breathe."_

_ "And God knows I'm not dying but I breathe now._

_ And God knows it's the only way to heal now._

_ With all the blood I lost with you._

_ It drowns the love I thought I knew."_

_ "The lost dreams are buried in my sleep for him_

_ And this was the ecstasy of a love forgotten_

_ And I'm thrown in the gunfire of empty bullets_

_ And my blood is all I see_

_ As you steal my soul from me." _

As Tsuna sang the last verse, Ieyoshi had grown a little weaker with his threats, but at the last two lines, Ieyoshi burst out angrily. Because they both knew how painfully true it was for Tsuna. But nothing would stop Tsuna now, nothing short of death.

_"Alarms will ring, for eternity_

_ The waves will break every chain on me."_

_ "And God knows I'm not dying but I breathe now_

_ And God knows it's the only way to heal now_

_ With all the blood I lost with you_

_ It drowns the love I thought I knew"_

_ "And God knows I'm not dying but I breathe now_

_ And God knows it's the only way to heal now_

_ With all the blood I lost with you_

_ It drowns the love I thought I knew."_

_ "And God knows I'm not dying but I breathe now_

_ And God knows it's the only way to heal now_

_ With all the blood I lost with you_

_ It drowns the love I thought I knew." _

When Tsuna finished the song, Ieyoshi was finally angry enough to break down the door. The door was flung open, from being kicked. It slammed into the wall, actually chipping some of the paint. Ieyoshi looked like a demon from hell, and close to frothing at the mouth. Tsuna didn't try to defend himself. He didn't try to run. He didn't try to fight. He just sat there, as Ieyoshi slammed him around, screeching and screaming, and hitting his twin so hard that Tsuna wanted to scream. But he didn't. Because he had learned his lesson a long time ago, and he would never again scream because of his brother.

And that was okay. Because this was his defiance.

As Tsuna was lying on the ground, numb, and soaked in blood, and repeatedly being kicked in the side by his unforgiving brother, the ironic thought struck him. This man would never be what Vongola needed him to be. Not only did Ieyoshi need to be a boss, but he needed to be a Sky Guardian. All skies were guardians in their own rights. And Tsuna knew all too well that his brother could never be a Sky. He could never accept anyone for what they were.

While Tsuna was lying there, aching, burning pains all over his body, bruises beginning to blossom, he stared up at the ceiling, wondering why his twin had to do this to him. He had never wondered that before, which he found strange. He knew that Ieyoshi had always been jealous of the one ability Ieyoshi never had, but he had never thought about why Ieyoshi had to go to such extremes to be at the top of everything. Wasn't it lonely at the top? Once you reached it, what did you have?

Ieyoshi spat on Tsuna, and turned on his heel to walk away. As Ieyoshi was standing in the doorway, Tsuna spoke to his brother for the first time since they were eight.

"Iey-kun." Ieyoshi froze.

"WHAT NOW, YOU FUCKING FREAK?!" He roared.

"Why do you hate me?" The broken door slam was all the response Tsuna got. Tsuna lay on the floor, and stared up at his ceiling, as the sky dimmed outside. Now he knew why his brother never wanted Tsuna to slip from his control. Because the life Tsuna could see for himself now was too good for him to ever allow himself to go back.

When Nana and everyone else came home, clearly, Reborn, and Bianchi were worried, so they rushed upstairs. Lambo followed to see Tsuna. When they came to Tsuna's room and opened the door, to find the blood-soaked Tsuna on the ground, sharp gasps from Reborn and Bianchi could be heard. Lambo had been stunned into silence.

"Tsuna…" Reborn said quietly. "Why did you let him do this to you?" Reborn had seen Tsuna beaten up by Ieyoshi before, and afterwards, Tsuna always had that dead look in his eyes. But when Tsuna turned his head to face them without getting up, Reborn was shocked to see an apathetic look in Tsuna's eyes, yet they were more alive than he had ever seen them. And Reborn could see why. Because unlike before, Tsuna's eyes shone with pride and dignity. That was something Ieyoshi could not have laid a finger on, no matter how hard he tried. Tsuna opened his mouth, and they all expected him to close it, like he did so often, but this time, the soft, melodic voice that came out surprised all three of them.

"I'm never going back." Bianchi and Reborn didn't have to ask what that meant. Lambo burst into noisy tears and rushed over to Tsuna, who sat up and wrapped his arms around the little Bovino. Lambo snuggled into Tsuna's arm, crying about how the meanie was so mean and that he swore he would protect Tsuna from the meanie forever.

As Reborn watched Tsuna comfort Lambo, Reborn realized that Tsuna had been right. He really was fine. It was clear from the small, genuine smile that spread across Tsuna's face as he held the child.

After Bianchi helped tend to Tsuna's wounds, the two of them had assumed that Tsuna was all talked out for the day, and they probably wouldn't get anything else out of him, but later that night, they were proved wrong. Bianchi was in the guest room next to Tsuna's, and Reborn would normally stay in Ieyoshi's room with Ieyoshi, but Ieyoshi couldn't handle the disappointment exuding from Reborn (because the exuding disappointment was usually accompanied by a gun or mallet) and slept on the couch downstairs. However, they heard Lambo crying later that night, and Tsuna comforting him again. Except this time, they heard Tsuna's new voice, which they both thought was dangerously beautiful (they were under the impression that it was going to get him raped or something one day and now were campaigning for his silence).

"Don't cry Lambo. I have something for you."

"Is it-," Sniffle. "-, grape candy?" There was a small, tinkling laugh, that they were both shocked to recognize as Tsuna's. Damn, it was going to get him raped.

"No, and I don't know if it's as good as that, so I'll let you decide. Now, remember, this is just for you." Apparently, Lambo liked that idea, because the tears quieted a little, and the three of them waited with bated breath.

_"Can somebody show me,_

_ How to live that way?_

_ Cause it's easy to hide your face,_

_ When everyone looks the same._

_ Simply living._

_ Color coded._

_ Now that I match your look,_

_ Can everything be okay?" _

It was like the entire house was still, waiting for the soft song to continue. As it went on, it didn't pick up in power much, but that was partly what made it so lovely.

_"And I don't want to fade away._

_ Yet the days go, so quickly._

_ And I don't wanna fade away._

_ Yet the days go, so quickly."_

_ "Cause this night is for the chances, _

_ So dance around the crashes just to survive,_

_ To survive_

_ Cause these wounds will hide and blood will dry,_

_ But baby we're still alive, tonight_

_ Tonight"_

_ "I don't wanna fade away,_

_ Like the songs_

_ In sad stories_

_ Something to lose_

_ And angels and demons_

_ Have, nothin' left to prove."_

_ "Well I don't want to fade away_

_ Yet the days go, so quickly._

_ And I don't wanna fade away,_

_ Yet the days go, so quickly."_

_ "Cause this night is for the chances_

_ So dance around the crashes, just to survive,_

_ To survive_

_ Cause these wounds will hide and blood will dry_

_ But baby we're still alive, tonight_

_ Tonight"_

_ "I wanna wake up,_

_ I wanna wake up,_

_ I wanna wake up,_

_ I wanna wake up now"_

_ "And I don't wanna fade away,_

_ Yet the days go, so quickly._

_ Cause this night is for the chances_

_ So dance around the crashes just to survive_

_ To survive_

_ Cause these wounds will hide and blood will dry_

_ And baby we're still alive tonight_

_ Tonight."_

_ "I don't wanna fade away_

_ Yet the days go, so quickly,_

_ And I don't wanna fade away,_

_ Yet the days go, so quickly." _

Cue mental implosion.

"Remind me again why he wasn't picked as Vongola Decimo?" Bianchi murmured to herself. She heard Nana in the other room;

"Oh, Tsu-kun hasn't sung in a while." Bianchi almost wanted to scream at the woman. Nana was the sweetest person you would ever meet, and it was easy to tell how much trouble she had handling her boys (well, only Ieyoshi. Tsuna was a sweetheart that would never purposely cause trouble for his mother), but she had let Ieyoshi rampage for far too long, and in turn, Tsuna had suffered.

"THAT WAS BETTER THAN GRAPE CANDY!" Lambo exclaimed. Even though he was incredibly loud, he sounded sleepy. Another small laugh. Yup. Tsuna better keep his vocal abilities under wraps or he would be violated all over the place at school.

"Thank you Lambo. Let's go to sleep now; I have school tomorrow."

"Okay Tsuna-nii." And like that, she heard the instant snores of the Bovino child. Bianchi smiled. She had a feeling that things were going to get a lot more interesting around the house.

XXXX

Hibari was bothered by the injured herbivore.

He wasn't quite sure what it was that irritated him about seeing the injured herbivore limp around school pathetically, but it annoyed the hell out of him. It was worse than that cow-herbivore-child who had showed up at school one day. Hibari hadn't thought that was possible, but then the fluffy-haired herbivore came in, bandaged, bruised, weak, and ignoring everyone's desperate pleas to go to the nurse, or let them know who did it to him. Personally, Hibari strongly suspected the brother, who always seemed to be glaring at his twin herbivore, but there was no actual proof. For all Hibari knew, the baby who called himself Reborn could have done it.

But the strangest thing…while the herbivore was clearly sore, and probably didn't want to be at school, he had walked in grinning. Almost as widely and constantly as the baseball herbivore. Hibari just didn't get it.

But he had to admit, the atmosphere around the herbivore had seemed lighter. And the herbivore was _talking._Not much, and only to a select few people (i.e. him and the baseball herbivore), but he _spoke_. Usually, the baseball herbivore and the bunny-herbivore ate lunch on the roof together, and Hibari usually went up there to bite the baseball herbivore since he irritated him and made a great stress outlet. More often than not though, he ended up hanging around the bunny-herbivore, taking the chance to observe him. Besides, it wasn't quite a crowd, and the bunny-herbivore knew exactly how to stay off of his nerves, making him tolerable to be around.

But today, the baseball herbivore had offered the other to try some sushi, and the bunny-herbivore had taken it. Before he ate it, he gave a small smile, and said,

"Arigato." And popped it in his mouth. The baseball herbivore choked in shock. Hibari found it far more amusing than it was. And, to be totally honest, he was a bit smug about being the first one the bunny-herbivore had spoken to face-to-face.

Now, he was at his desk, wondering why he was so focused on the bunny-herbivore, when it clicked. The bunny-like herbivore wasn't an herbivore at all. He was a baby carnivore.

Hibari had seen the way Sawada Tsunayoshi had completely turned words into a power, and while he had never used them hurtfully, he was sure that Sawada Tsunayoshi could turn them into a weapon, if he chose to do so. And if he was that powerful with words alone, Hibari could only imagine how powerful he would be in a fight. Once he was properly trained, of course. And then the baby carnivore would be a fully grown carnivore and he would finally have someone to fight with!

But if Hibari ever wanted to fight that fully grown carnivore, he would need to train the baby carnivore. The baby carnivore probably wasn't thinking of it yet, but Hibari knew that sooner or later, he would go to someone for training. The baby carnivore wouldn't be satisfied where he was forever. And when that day came, Hibari was going to make sure he would be that someone.

He composed a list of training ideas, all the while, ignoring the strange feeling he got in the pit of his stomach when he thought of fighting Sawada Tsunayoshi.

XXXX

"Onii-san…" Gokudera started, as he walked home with Ieyoshi and Tsuna, in between the two of them. Tsuna sensed that Reborn was somewhere around, though he couldn't pinpoint where because he kept moving. "Who gave you those bruises?" Tsuna turned to look at Gokudera, who was starting to get teary-eyed. "I told you, you can always rely on me. All you had to do was ask for my help and I would've defended you. Do you not trust me?" Gokudera cried out, and Tsuna felt very, very guilty. He touched Gokudera comfortingly.

_It's not that I don't trust you….I just don't want to cause conflict._ Gokudera blinked.

"I would never have any problem with helping you! I would make sure that there _was_ no problem! So please tell me who did this to you!" Tsuna looked to his twin from the corner of his eye. Ieyoshi was furious. But Tsuna had made the first step last night, and it was high time that Ieyoshi stopped manipulating someone as good as Gokudera. Tsuna paused, and Gokudera was watching him carefully, waiting for Tsuna's response.

"Iey-kun did this." Tsuna admitted quietly. Gokudera almost ran into a telephone pole in surprise. Not just because of the content of the sentence, but because he had never heard Tsuna's voice, talking or singing.

"WHAT?!" Tsuna gave Gokudera a sorrowful look, and then looked away. If Gokudera didn't believe him, then there really wasn't anything he could do. Besides, talking like that had taken so much effort to breakthrough that psychosomatic inability, so Tsuna was all spent. He couldn't talk anymore. Not for today. Or at least not to Gokudera.

"But-Jyuudaime, did he-he wouldn't-your brother-Onii-san-I-," Gokudera was at a loss for words. Thankfully, Reborn came flying out of nowhere, and nailed Ieyoshi in the head, knocking him to the ground. "Reborn-san! Is it true?" Tsuna liked how no one cared that Reborn had just flattened his brother to the pavement. He supposed everyone was used to it. Reborn nodded.

"I would love to say it isn't, but it's high time that you knew what Ieyoshi is really like. That first time you saw those bruises on Tsuna- those were also from Ieyoshi. Ieyoshi never planned to save you. He really wanted you to die. I was the one that wanted you in his Famiglia, so Tsuna gave his brother a chance to come up with a lie. And not only that, but Ieyoshi never intended to keep you in his Famiglia either. Ieyoshi isn't a nice person; he acts like it, but he is manipulative and cruel. He was the one who essentially told Yamamoto to go kill himself." Gokudera jerked back, eyes wide, face pale.

"No- it can't be-Jyuudaime wouldn't-,"

"I'm sorry." Tsuna said quietly. Unlike before, this came out very easily. "I didn't know what to tell you…you seemed so happy….but you deserved better than him too." He let out a huge breath, and he felt exhausted. Yeah. No more talking. He was way pushing his limits. But he felt like Gokudera needed to hear that. Gokudera stumbled back, holding his head, eyes wild. Tsuna could sympathize with Gokudera. Everything the poor boy thought he knew…was a lie. It was no surprise that Gokudera looked so torn up. Gokudera glanced over at Tsuna.

"I-i…Onii-san…I'm sorry but I need to think." And with that, Gokudera turned and sprinted off. Gokudera deserved all the time he needed to sort things out. He truly was a kind person.

XXXX

Reborn was going to tell Nono and Iemitsu.

He had always known that he really should explain to Nono and Iemitsu that Ieyoshi was not fit to be a Vongola boss, but really, what could he do? If he told them that, they would just give him that tired, stressed look. They would nod, because they really would understand, but plead with him to try to train Ieyoshi anyways. Because Reborn had sort of lied to Ieyoshi before. They needed Ieyoshi. They needed a candidate. They couldn't let Xanxus very well have the position of Vongola boss. They were running out of options.

Reborn had always thought that he could suggest Tsuna, but he knew Nono and Iemitsu would brush it off. Because who in their right mind who suggest a mute, weak boy to be trained as a mafia boss?

Well, apparently Reborn would.

But now that Tsuna had made the choice to control his own future, Reborn could see so many possibilities opening up. And he could see who Tsuna would become. He pictured it clearly, and it was only characterized by three words; strong, brave, and compassionate. He would be everything Vongola needed. Reborn knew Tsuna wasn't ready yet; but he would be soon, and Reborn knew that Tsuna would make a wonderful boss. The only real obstacle was getting Tsuna to agree to it.

So he looked down at his report, with the words, URGENT. PLEASE COME TO JAPAN. Printed at the bottom, and folded it up, putting it away. Not yet, he decided. But soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Song: raise it up, by Florence + the machine

Enjoy!

XXXX

Tsuna's walk to school once again had an interesting meeting. It seemed to happen more and more lately- first Bianchi, then that thing with Lambo, and now with the little Chinese girl that was mostly bald, with a ponytail. She walked up to him, and tugged on his pant leg. He looked down. She actually didn't look like a girl at all; but Tsuna thought she was.

"Directions to Namimori Middle?" She asked, in broken Japanese. Tsuna pointed down the road, and then jerked his thumb left. She nodded and bowed. "Arigato." She hurried off, and Tsuna watched her go, wondering what she could be doing here. He just hoped that she didn't run into Hibari when she got there. Hibari would think that Tsuna was sending herbivore children to school. Which Tsuna technically had, but he was sure she would have found some other directions if he hadn't given them to her.

XXXX

"Has anyone else seen that little person around school?" Yamamoto asked. They were eating lunch on a roof, but not the roof they usually ate on. Now they were on the roof that Yamamoto had almost jumped off of. Kyoko and Hana had invited them to eat lunch. They were all in a circle, and Kyoo stopped to chew thoughtfully.

"He's probably looking for his older sibling or something. I hope he finds them." Kyoko said. Tsuna shook his head, and gave a look to Yamamoto. Kyoko and Hana understood him pretty well, but Yamamoto was still the one here who understood him best. Yamamoto turned to Tsuna.

"What is it, Tsuna?"

_She's a girl. _Yamamoto raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I would never have expected that."

"Never have expected what?" Hana demanded. Yamamoto flicked his eyes to them.

"The little "boy" is actually a girl." Kyoko clapped her hands over her mouth, looking horrified.

"I feel so guilty now!" She exclaimed. Yamamoto laughed.

"Don't worry; I thought she was a boy too."

"As did I." Hana admitted ruefully. She didn't like being classed with "monkeys", but she really hadn't even suspected that the little Chinese girl was a girl. "It's only because of Sawada's crazy intuition that he knew. Isn't that right, Sawada?" Tsuna nodded. All of them had realized that Tsuna had super powerful intuition pretty soon. Only Tsuna knew that it was Primo's Hyper Intuition. It wasn't technically Vongola, because none of the Vongola bosses since Primo had the _real_ Hyper Intuition. They only had half-assed forms of it, since it wasn't a direct bloodline. Kyoko sighed.

"I'm so jealous of you, Sawada-kun! It would be nice to just "know" things. You're so lucky." Tsuna just shrugged, feeling like an idiot for smiling so much. "Sawada-kun, call I call you Tsuna-kun?" He lifted his head to face Kyoko. He smiled, and nodded. Kyoko brightened. "And if you ever decide to talk, you can call me Kyoko-chan." He nodded again.

"Just call me Hana." Hana put in. "I don't like any Hana-san, or Hana-chan. Just Hana." Figures she wouldn't like any frivolous honorifics. But Tsuna smiled all the same. "And I'm going to call you Tsuna." Hana clarified. "Got it?" Tsuna didn't really feel like he had any choice in the manner.

Yamamoto laughed, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I suppose I never actually asked if I could call you Tsuna. That's alright, right?" Tsuna nodded. "And I don't care what you call me if you ever want to talk, but just don't call me Yamamoto-san. It makes me feel like my father."

"Aren't you certainly friendly?" A voice sneered. Everyone twisted to see Ieyoshi, arms crossed, eyes dark, and angry. Though recently, since Tsuna's little rebellion, he had been a lot angrier. But especially now, since he really liked Kyoko.

"Ieyoshi-kun!" Kyoko exclaimed cheerfully, completely oblivious to the atmosphere. Hana, however, had read the atmosphere, and moved a little closer to her best friend, glaring at Ieyoshi. According to Hana, Ieyoshi was like the king of monkeys. Yamamoto's smile never faltered, and he didn't know that all of Tsuna's bruises had come from Ieyoshi, but Yamamoto had been reading more subtle signs about Ieyoshi's true nature since the suicide incident. And he was uncomfortable with the way Ieyoshi was glaring at Tsuna. He slung an arm around Tsuna, as usual, but this time, Tsuna felt how stiff and tense Yamamoto was, even if he seemed calm outwardly. "What are you doing up here?"

"I wanted to talk to my brother, alone. Does anyone mind?" Even though they didn't sound threatening, there was a sharp undertone to Ieyoshi's voice. He was on edge. Tsuna had some trouble making eye contact with his twin, but did so anyways. He shook his head, and crossed his arms, giving the idea that he refused to move, and did not want to talk to Ieyoshi. Ieyoshi tilted his head. "Do you not want to talk to me?"

_Afterschool. _Ieyoshi took a few steps forward, and Yamamoto felt the same sense of danger that Tsuna did. His arm tightened around Tsuna.

"Then do you mind if I join you for lunch?"

"Of course not, Ieyoshi-kun!" Kyoko answered for all of them. Hana sneered at Ieyoshi though, and Yamamoto's frozen smile looked almost painful. Ieyoshi took a seat on the other side of Tsuna, and if Yamamoto could have, he would have yanked Tsuna away. Something about Ieyoshi….didn't feel safe. And Yamamoto didn't want to see the petite boy get hurt.

"By the way, thanks Tsuna. And thank Gokudera for me too if you see him. Because of you two, I managed to get an 87% on my test." Tsuna blinked. That was a huge improvement for Ieyoshi. Before, Ieyoshi had been regularly getting around 43% on his tests. His new score was a little more than double the usual.

"That's great Ieyoshi-kun!" Kyoko said cheerfully.

"Where did that silver-haired monkey go anyways? He just disappeared, like two days ago." Hana wondered.

"Family problems." Ieyoshi lied. Tsuna could have laughed. How ironic it was that it was actually true.

"Oh, I hope things get fixed soon." Kyoko said, with a small pout. Despite how oblivious she was, it was hard to not like Kyoko. She was like Nana. She could never wish any ill will on anyone. Ieyoshi gave her a plastic smile, and suddenly, the door to the roof went flying open, with a loud _bang!_ Everyone looked over, to see the little Chinese girl burst in. "Oh! It's the little girl!"

"She's a girl?!" Ieyoshi exclaimed, blinking hard. The girl got into some strange stance, shaking her head.

"I-Pin found her target. Target will die now." Before Kyoko and Hana could ask anything, Reborn, who suddenly came floating in on a Leon parachute shot them both in the head. They were still breathing when they hit the ground, so Tsuna assumed it was just something to knock them out. Yamamoto heard the gunfire, and responded immediately, by literally picking Tsuna up and putting him on Yamamoto's other side, where Yamamoto could get between the bullets and Tsuna. Tsuna was deeply touched by this.

"Ieyoshi, get down." Yamamoto said, serious. Ieyoshi snorted, and just looked up to Reborn.

"Don't worry about it, baseball idiot. It's just my tutor, Reborn. He only knocked Kyoko and Hana out so they wouldn't get caught in any crossfire." Yamamoto seemed confused.

"Tutor-?" Ieyoshi let out barking laughter.

"Tsuna hasn't told you yet? No wonder you're so naïve."

"Ieyoshi." Reborn's voice became very deep all of a sudden, as he floated down onto Ieyoshi's shoulder. "Shut up." Ieyoshi's mouth clamped shut.

"I-Pin will kill you!" I-Pin exclaimed, and she ate a piece of gyoza, and did some weird move. A gust of what looked like oddly colored wind came from her and slammed into Ieyoshi. Reborn bounced off of Ieyoshi's shoulder and onto Tsuna's head before it got near him. Ieyoshi coughed, and made faces at the smell, while Yamamoto blinked at the baby on Tsuna's head.

"This is his tutor?" He wondered. Reborn sat in Tsuna's hair and played with it, as usual. Tsuna gave Yamamoto an apologetic look.

_He's far older than he looks. He just likes messing with people. _Yamamoto didn't look like he completely believed Tsuna, but shrugged.

"AW, MAN, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS STUFF! IT SMELLS!" I-Pin made a move, and suddenly, Ieyoshi was floating off the ground. He shrieked. Yamamoto's mouth fell open, before he laughed. I-Pin started making more motions, and soon enough, Ieyoshi was flying around and slamming into things. Reborn tapped Tsuna's head.

"This move is called the Gyoza Fist. It can control you." Tsuna wrinkled his nose. That wasn't possible. He'd read up on the Gyoza Fist. It didn't control you, per se. It was possible to defy it, but if you didn't know how, then you had a major problem.

After watching Ieyoshi slam into the roof, shrieking, for the fourth time, Tsuna decided it was time to act. He may have decided to disobey his brother, but that didn't mean it was right to stand by and watch him get beat up. Tsuna set Reborn on Yamamoto's shoulder, with the message;

_Wait here._ And grabbed a water bottle. He sprinted over to where his brother was flying, unscrewing the water bottle.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, DAME-TSUNA?!" When Ieyoshi got close enough, Tsuna threw some water in his face. Ieyoshi coughed as he nearly inhaled some of it, but his nose cleared, and he suddenly dropped to the ground, swearing. Gyoza Fist used smell. I-Pin frowned at Tsuna, and said,

"Move, nice man. Nice man gave I-Pin directions. Nice man is not I-Pin's target." Tsuna shook his head and made sure that he was in front of his brother. I-Pin frowned, ate another piece of gyoza and sent the wind thing at Tsuna again. Tsuna held his breath, forced air out of his nose, grabbed his brother's arm, and towed him out of the cloud. Tsuna threw Ieyoshi on the ground by Yamamoto and Reborn, and went forward to approach I-Pin. I-Pin was still frowning at him, and getting into a martial arts position, in case Tsuna attacked. Instead, Tsuna bent down next to her. He didn't really believe in hurting children, which is why he usually intervened when people beat up on Lambo.

"Can you show me the picture of your target?" Now that he learned the name, Tsuna remembered reading a little on I-Pin. She was the student of an Arcobaleno- that tended to stick in your memory. And now, he distinctly remembered reading that I-Pin had bad eyesight. I-Pin stuck the picture out at him. In it, was a picture of a fat man in a suit with spiky brown hair. Tsuna blinked. I-Pin's eyesight was really terrible. Usually, when people who needed glasses didn't wear them, things were just al ittle blurry. You didn't see nine fingers or anything. It was disturbing how different her target looked from Ieyoshi. Tsuna shook his head, and turned, so that his back faced Yamamoto, Ieyoshi and Reborn, who were watching him curiously. He got down on his knees, and took out a pair of glasses. He slipped them onto I-Pin's face, and then took the picture from her, showing it to her.

I-Pin's eyes widened behind the glasses, as she realized the horrible mistake she made. She immediately put her hands together and bowed.

"I-Pin is sorry for the trouble!" Tsuna smiled at her, and removed the glasses. They weren't big bifocals; they were sort of rectangular, with a thin, black frame.

"It's okay. My eyesight isn't good either. Don't tell." He whispered (though, in fact, Tsuna was more nearsighted; I-Pin just seemed to have all around horrible vision). He didn't want anyone else to hear him talk; besides, it was always easier to talk to children. Tsuna knew he spoke more freely around Lambo than he did Bianchi. He put out his pinky finger, and I-Pin nodded, linking pinkies.. Tsuna put his glasses on to show her. He gave her a showy-offy look. "How do I look?" I-Pin smiled and touched his forehead excitedly. He put them back on her, and smiled. "You look gorgeous." Her mouth fell open, and she looked happy. Tsuna stood up and turned around to Yamamoto, Ieyoshi and Reborn.

"Congratulations, Dame-Tsuna. You realized that I-Pin had bad eyesight, and came to assassinate the wrong person." Reborn said. Ieyoshi was currently on the ground, on his stomach, and Reborn was bouncing up and down on his back.

"ARE YOU KIDDING-ACKK!" Reborn stomped on his head. Tsuna felt I-Pin latch onto his leg.

"Cute kid, Tsuna. Aren't you a little old for her?" Yamamoto teased. Tsuna rolled his eyes. "What's that on her forehead?" Tsuna blinked and looked down at I-Pin. There were circles on her head, nine at first, but now they seemed to be reducing in number and moving around. He could wear he'd read something about this…..

"Well, I-Pin is very shy, and when her shyness reaches maximum level, she turns into a human bomb, called the Pinzu Time Bomb!" Reborn said cheerfully, stomping up and down on Ieyoshi's head and rubbing Ieyoshi's face into the ground. Ieyoshi seemed to be unconscious, but either Reborn didn't know, or didn't care. "When it hits zero, she blows up!" Tsuna's eyes widened, and Yamamoto looked the same. There were people on the roof, that were unconscious. If I-Pin blew up, they could be hurt. Tsuna reached down and tried to pull I-Pin off of his leg, but she was latched on tight, burying her face in his leg. "Oh yeah, and because of her shyness, she tends to latch onto the closest person." Tsuna suppressed a groan, and tried to pull I-Pin off of his leg again. He managed to lift her off, and when he did, found that she had hearts for eyes. _Does I-Pin like me?! _But they had more pressing matters. He tossed her to Yamamoto.

_Throw her up! _Her countdown was getting dangerously low, and Yamamoto didn't hesitate, to tilt to the sky, narrow his eyes, and pitch like there was no tomorrow. Yamamoto threw her so hard that you could hear the wind whistling as she soared upwards. There was a huge explosion overhead, and then Tsuna could see the tiny figure falling downwards. He gulped. He didn't want her to hit. He and Yamamoto looked at each other.

"Herbivore." Tsuna turned, to see Hibari walking in through the door. "Why is there a child falling from the sky?" Tsuna waved his hand.

_I'll tell you later. Help us? _Hibari sighed.

"Fine. Baseball-herbivore- catapult him." Yamamoto laced his fingers together, and bent a little, holding them out. Tsuna realized what he wanted him to do. Yamamoto was going to throw him upwards. It seemed crazy, but his intuition told him that it would work. Tsuna glanced up, and as it seemed like I-Pin was getting close enough, Tsuna sprinted towards Yamamoto. He jumped onto Yamamoto's hands, who tossed him up into the air with almost as much force as he had thrown I-Pin.

Tsuna tried to ignore the fact that he could fall and die, and snatched I-Pin out of the air. I-Pin stared at him with wide eyes, Tsuna's glasses still on her face. Tsuna gave her an apologetic expression. She latched onto his arm, whimpering in fear, as they started to fall back down. Tsuna shut his eyes, terrified about what was going to happen. He was hoping Hibari had a plan though.

Tsuna didn't hit. He stopped falling, but he didn't hit. He peeked, and Hibari's irritated expression swam into view. Tsuna looked around, bewildered, and realized that Hibari had caught him, and was now holding him and I-Pin, bridal style. Hibari set his feet back on the ground, and Tsuna collapsed to his knees, letting out a loud breath, and holding I-Pin tight. I-Pin was trembling in his arms, unconscious, almost as bad as Tsuna was.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Yamamoto yelled, pumping his fist into the air. He got a tonfa in the face for his cheerfulness, but Tsuna could tell that Hibari was a little relieved it had all worked out. He gave a weak smile to all of them.

"Well done, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn said, and he jumped into Tsuna's hair. Tsuna's eyes flicked up. "I won't make you tell them, but you should." And with that, Reborn hopped off of Tsuna's head and dragged Ieyoshi off with him.

"What is that baby talking about?" Hibari asked when Reborn was gone, a suspicious note in his voice.

"Yeah, the kid said something about that earlier." Yamamoto pointed out. Tsuna looked down at his feet.

_It has to do with my brother._

"Is there a problem or something?" Tsuna shook his head, and held his palms up, not sure how to explain. What was there _to_ explain?

_I don't know how to say it. I'll tell you….I promise….but just not today. _Yamamoto watched Tsuna's body language carefully, and when he was sure the petite student had gotten his message across, he clapped him on the shoulder.

"Tsuna, if you don't want to tell us, that's your choice. I can't exactly speak for Hibari, but I respect your decision, and you tell us when you're ready. You've made a lot of progress in the past week, but I'm not going to push you past your limits." Yamamoto assured him. Tsuna smiled at him gratefully. "What about you, Hibari?"

"Hn." Yamamoto grinned.

"We really need to get you past those types of answers, Hiba-kun." Commence disaster. While Hibari chased Yamamoto around the roof, Tsuna worked on putting Hana and Kyoko against the wall, shaking them conscious. They woke up quickly.

"Hm…Tsuna-kun? What happened?" Kyoko croaked. Tsuna took the gyoza off of I-Pin's sleeping person and showed it to Kyoko and Hana. He gestured breaking a piece off and then rolled his eyes back in his head and pretended to pass out.

"The smell?" Hana wondered. Tsuna nodded. "It is strong, but I can't believe we reacted like that….Why is Hibari chasing the monkey around the roof?" Tsuna just facepalmed and shook his head.

_I hardly even know anymore. _

"Where did Ieyoshi-kun go?" Kyoko wondered.

_He left, so he wouldn't be late for class._

"And you stayed behind with us?" Kyoko inquired. Tsuna nodded. Kyoko smiled. "Thank you Tsuna-kun!" Tsuna just touched her arm gently, and went to go make sure Hibari hadn't beaten Yamamoto into unconsciousness. When Tsuna came over, Hibari gave the "killing blow" to Yamamoto, and stalked off, muttering,

"Hn." Yamamoto peeled himself off the ground.

"Ow." Then he glanced at Hibari's retreating back. "You're getting better, Hibari! Today I have twice as many bruises!"

"Hn." Hibari left dramatically, with the door slamming behind him. Tsuna suppressed a smile and helped Yamamoto up. They walked over to Hana and Kyoko.

"Wait, how come Hibari didn't bite us to death for being late to class?" Kyoko asked, confused. Yamamoto shrugged, and gave another easy smile.

"Well, he didn't bite you two because you were unconscious, he bit Tsuna a little, but Tsuna was taking care of I-Pin and you guys, so he wasn't punished as badly. Hibari just had a field day with me though." Yamamoto rubbed the back of his neck, laughing. Tsuna came to the disturbing conclusion that Yamamoto was a very good liar. But Tsuna could see that he was having fun.

XXXX

When they got home, Tsuna introduced I-Pin to the family. Well, most of the family. Ieyoshi was sulking in the living room.

"She's a girl?" Lambo asked, blinking at I-Pin. I-Pin looked a little embarrassed, but before the Pinzu Time Bomb could go off, Tsuna whispered,

"You're beautiful." To her. I-Pin smiled brightly, pointed a finger at Lambo, and declared,

"Broccoli monster." Even though she was still wearing Tsuna's glasses. Lambo's mouth dropped open.

"Tail head!" He responded. I-Pin stuck her tongue out at him, threw a Gyoza Fist at him, and threw him around the room for a little. But Tsuna could tell that they would be fast friends. Nana looked at the kids curiously.

"Tsu-kun, is she wearing your glasses?" Tsuna nodded.

_It's not her prescription or anything, but it was the best I could find on short notice. _Nana nodded, and walked over to Tsuna. She got behind him, and wrapped her arms around his sitting form, stroking some of his hair back from his forehead.

"You're so kind, Tsu-kun." She said, and pecked him on the head, before going back to making dinner.

"Tsu-chan wears glasses?" Bianchi wondered. Tsuna shrugged.

"He's a little nearsighted. His eyesight isn't so bad, but he needs them on occasion." Reborn settled himself on Tsuna's head. Tsuna didn't mention to his mother how he definitely used them a lot less than he was supposed to, because some of the other kids had made that a point of their bullying. After they broke his glasses for the third time, Tsuna didn't want to make his mother keep paying for a new pair, so he stopped wearing them.

"Tsuna, would that by any chance be the reason why you don't focus in class? Because you can't see the board clearly enough?" Reborn asked curiously. Tsuna's face flushed red, and Reborn used that as an answer.

"So, how did Ieyoshi take his run in with the Gyoza Fist?" Bianchi asked Tsuna.

_Not well._ Reborn let out a laugh.

"I personally loved the performance. Five stars. I'll show you the video." Tsuna's mouth fell open.

_You took a video?!_

"Of course I did." Reborn said, like that was all the explanation Tsuna needed. Tsuna smacked himself in the face. After there was a loud _bang! _And Lambo and I-Pin came running out of a smoking hallway (Tsuna guessed Lambo had thrown a grenade), I-Pin bounced up on the table. Shyly, she took off Tsuna's glasses, and slid them onto Tsuna's face. As soon as they were on, both Nana and Bianchi squealed, and I-Pin's eyes lit up, turning into hearts. So I-Pin didn't have a crush on him. She just thought he was cute with his glasses on. Tsuna touched the rim of the glasses, and as the Pinzu Time Bomb started counting down on I-Pin's head, she rushed out of the house, and into the street, where a loud BOOM! Could be heard. When she came in, Tsuna made sure to take the glasses off.

He smiled to himself while his family laughed. At least no one had gotten seriously hurt today. While the situation seemed comical now, Tsuna was very aware how dangerous it had been for Yamamoto, Hana, Kyoko, and Ieyoshi. I-Pin really could have killed them, Gyoza Fist or Pinzu Time Bomb. The fact that if they had been faced with a crueler assassin, or someone Tsuna didn't know about, they could have easily been killed, left a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't just want to live his life. He wanted to help protect his friends. And it was only through pure luck that he was able to do anything today.

He just wished….that he wasn't so useless.

XXXX

Over the weekend, Nana dragged out the whole family for an outing. Which meant that Tsuna and Ieyoshi were forced to be in close vicinity of each other, and Ieyoshi was pissed the entire time. Even though they split up into two groups (Nana, I-Pin, Lambo, and Bianchi in one), Reborn stuck with Tsuna and Ieyoshi, to make sure Ieyoshi didn't try to kill Tsuna. Besides, Reborn had also specifically stuck with the two of them, to make them talk.

While they were walking, Ieyoshi started speaking like Tsuna wasn't there.

"I don't see why I have to hang around with Dame-Tsuna."

"Ieyoshi, how many Famiglia members do you have?" Reborn asked pleasantly. Ieyoshi scoffed.

"Why is that important? When I become boss, I'll have all of Vongola."

"Humor me, Ieyoshi-baka." Reborn said, and Leon turned into a mallet. Ieyoshi's eyes widened, and he gulped.

"Um…I don't have any." Reborn smacked him on the head, and Ieyoshi swore loudly.

"Good. That's why you don't defy me."

"THEN WHY DID YOU HIT ME?!" He roared. Reborn shrugged.

"I felt like it." Tsuna sweatdropped. Reborn really was a sadistic tutor. As they walked, an appendage suddenly found its way in front of Tsuna's foot, and he tripped, almost falling flat on his face. Ieyoshi snorted, but Tsuna heard the other voice.

"Oi, look, it's Dame-Tsuna! As pathetic as ever!" There was a collective laugh. Tsuna peeled himself off of the ground and looked up, eyebrows furrowing, to see four seniors standing over him. One jerked him up by his arm, and shoved him towards another senior.

"We're bored, Dame-Tsuna. Why don't you entertain us?" The one senior laughed, and shoved him to another. Soon enough, they formed a sort of square around him, shoving him and tripping him, and laughing, especially when he scraped his palms against the pavement. They kept turning him, and it was all he could do to stay on his feet most of the time. He was too disoriented to do anything.

"Hey, let me use this stick." When Tsuna was tossed towards the senior who had spoken, a large branch that had been broken off of a tree slammed into his ribs, and sent him stumbling back, into a senior who pushed him. He tripped, and fell on his hands and knees, only to be hauled back up. They weren't hitting him that hard; sure, it hurt, but he'd had far worse. But it was humiliating and degrading.

"Help your brother, Ieyoshi-baka." He heard Reborn's cutesy voice order his twin. Ieyoshi snorted.

"Why should I?"

"Because he's your brother and you better remember lesson one before I shoot you."

"Huh?" Reborn sighed, sounding exasperated.

"Let me make this a little more clear; HELP HIM, OR I'LL SHOOT YOU IN YOUR HEAD." Ieyoshi gulped.

"But how?!"

"Do it with your dying will." Tsuna heard the shot being fired, and was sure that Reborn had used another Dying Will bullet when he heard the thud of Ieyoshi's body on the ground. Then, the sound of ripping clothes, and Ieyoshi's shout of;

"REBOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNN! I'LL SURVIVE REBORN WITH MY DYING WILL!" Tsuna sweatdropped.

But in the next moment, all the seniors were lying on the ground, muttering something about a crazy hentai, and Ieyoshi was coming out of his Dying Will mode, panting. Tsuna picked himself up off the ground, clapped his hands together, and bowed.

_Thank you._

"Tch. You didn't deserve it, trash." He shoved Tsuna in the shoulder, hard, and slapped him across the face, sending Tsuna crashing into a pole, and falling backwards as he tripped over the legs of a prone senior. Ieyoshi stalked off, angrily murmuring about getting some clothes before people started the, "KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON!" "NO!" thing again. Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's head as he got up.

"Do you have any idea why he doesn't like you?" Reborn wondered. Tsuna chose not to answer that question, dusted himself off, and went off to find his family. Reborn knew better than to ask again.

XXXX

"EEEK! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Came the loud shout the next morning from Ieyoshi's room. Tsuna groaned silently, as Lambo and I-Pin started to wake up, along with him. The two of them had taken to sleeping in Tsuna's bed.

"Tsuna-nii?" Lambo murmured.

"Ge ge?" I-Pin asked sleepily. While Tsuna had begun to pick up on some of I-Pin's Chinese phrases, he still didn't know what that one was. Tsuna held a finger to his lips, and stroked their heads to silence them. It was a weekend, and now Tsuna was irritated with his brother, because he wanted to sleep. Besides, he didn't want him waking the kids up. Tsuna climbed out of bed, and pulled the covers over Lambo and I-Pin, so they wouldn't feel the loss of warmth too much. The two rolled into each other, and unconscioiusly wrapped their arms around each other, snuggling up in their sleep. Tsuna smiled. It had to be about the cutest thing Tsuna had ever seen.

"It's the Talking Skull Disease, Ieyoshi-baka. Now it means you're going to die." Reborn was using some sort of funnel-thing to talk through, and it was giving off an echo effect. That last phrase worried Tsuna a little, so he left his room, gently closing the door behind him, and went to Ieyoshi's room. Ieyoshi was sitting up on his bed, rubbing his eyes, and staring at his palm. There was a skull on it, with words printed on it. "It tells your embarrassing secrets until you die, which will be at sundown." Rborn informed the twin ominously. He was currently cosplaying in a doctor's costume. Curious, Tsuna unhooked his glasses from the front of his shirt (he had fallen asleep with them hooked on the front of his shirt), and slid them on, so he could see what was written on Ieyoshi's hand.

TWO WEEKS AGO, I FARTED IN CLASS LOUDLY AND BLAMED IT ON GOKUDERA. Tsuna snorted. No wonder Hana thought that Gokudera was a monkey. That attracted Ieyoshi's attention, and he glared at Tsuna.

"What do you want, Dame-Tsuna?"

"Be careful, Ieyoshi. Your secrets are showing." Reborn teased the "dying" teen. Ieyoshi rolled his eyes.

"This isn't even true! I don't believe you. I'm not actually going to die. Besides, how would I even get such a ridiculous disease?" Reborn paused, and rubbed his chin.

"Well, I heard that if you get shot in the head with a Dying Will bullet ten times, you can contract the disease, but I didn't think it was actually true…." Ieyoshi's mouth dropped open, and he shot to his feet.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me this?!" He hissed angrily. Reborn shrugged.

"I didn't think it was true."

"Ugh!"

"Well, I'll just go finish up the funeral arrangements. I'll make sure it's an open casket. The marks don't go away, even after you die, so your wake will be lots of laughs."

"Hey don't just abandon me- wait, FINISH UP? YOU'VE BEEN MAKING FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS?!" Tsuna just wasn't sure what to think anymore. Reborn shrugged.

"You're training to be a mafia 's always a chance that someone will come and assassinate you." Ieyoshi dug his fingers into his scalp. "Hey, look, more embarrassing secrets are appearing!" Ieyoshi grabbed Reborn and literally threw him out the door, with a pitch that even Yamamoto would have been jealous of. He shoved Tsuna out to, and slammed the door in their faces, locking it. Ieyoshi must have been checking all of the embarrassing secrets, because then, Tsuna heard a muffled cry of despair. Tsuna glanced to Reborn.

_He's not really going to die, is he?_ Reborn nodded and hopped onto Tsuna's shoulder, magically in his normal suit now.

"No, he really will die by sundown. Unless of course, we do something about it. But it's incurable." Tsuna looked to Reborn with frightened eyes.

_You have to save him! _

"But it's incurable."

_There's no way?!_

"There is one person, who I already called here, in case this happened, but he's not here yet, and I didn't expect to use the tenth Dying Will bullet yesterday-," _It was my fault._ That horrible sentence played through Tsuna's mind. It was _his _fault. If it hadn't been for him, his brother wouldn't be dying. If Tsuna could have defended himself, if he could have taken care of himself, Reborn wouldn't have sent Ieyoshi to help him. He almost blocked out all of what Reborn said, and in turn, croaked out,

"Please save him." Reborn blinked, and looked at Tsuna. Even though Tsuna now talked, on occasion, it still didn't happen often. In fact, in the past week or two, he had only talked a few times. "Reborn, _please._" Reborn gave Tsuna a suspicious expression.

"For someone who has suffered so much at Ieyoshi's hands, you still love him a lot, don't you?" Tsuna nodded, and Reborn sighed. He pulled out a phone. "I'll call and see what I can do." After a few rings, someone answered. "Hello? Dr. Shamal?"

_"Hey Reborn. What's up?" _

"Do you think you can be in Japan by sundown?"

_"Well, I'm in Japan now, but I'm about four hours away and busy-," _

"Shamal, I really need you to come."

_"Hey, you ordered me in by the end of the week, next week. I don't have to come before that."_

"You're already in Japan. Just come for today and you can go right back to whatever you're doing."

_"Sorry, your problem isn't my problem. It's not my fault I like the women here." _

"Shamal-," Tsuna had enough. He ripped the phone out of Reborn's grasp, and snarled into the speaker,

"Get your fucking ass over here. Someone's life is in danger. Are you or aren't you a doctor?" Tsuna rammed the phone back into Reborn's hands, and angrily walked towards the kitchen, ignoring the shocked look Reborn was giving him. If his twin died, someone was really going to get it.

Reborn watched Tsuna go, before putting the phone back to his ear.

_"THAT was Vongola Decimo? Jesus Christ, I swear I almost shit my pants." _Reborn had to agree. It wasn't only about Tsuna swearing (which he had never done before). It was the fact that every bit of his power had been in his voice. It was like getting struck by lightning. It was terrifying.

"Can you be here before sundown?"

_"I'm afraid of what will happen if I'm NOT there before sundown." _

"As you should."

_"I gotta go. I'm going to pack up and hop on a train." _

"Thanks. Bye." Tsuna really did love his brother, Reborn decided. But then again, there had never really been any doubt. Reborn put his phone away and banged on Ieyoshi's door.

"Is Dame-Tsuna gone?" Ieyoshi asked, his voice muffled by the door. Reborn rolled his eyes.

"Yes." The door opened and Reborn stepped inside Ieyoshi had changed into a long-sleeved sweatshirt, to cover all of the secrets. Reborn pouted. He wanted to see them.

"Am I really going to die, Reborn?" Ieyoshi demanded. Reborn sighed.

"Well, you were going to, but because Tsuna stepped in on your behalf, you're going to bejust fine." Ieyoshi snarled.

"I don't want any of his pathetic help. He can't do anything right. He'll probably screw up." Reborn kicked Ieyoshi in the head.

"He can do more right than you, including convincing me to save your life. So show some respect." Ieyoshi stuck his tongue out at Reborn. "Ieyoshi, things are going to get serious soon. So shape or shut up. Pick one." And with a dramatic air, Reborn left the room.

XXXX

Apparently, because he was dying, Ieyoshi felt like he got some sort of permission to get far louder and angrier. In two hours, he engaged in nine loud verbal conflicts. It got so bad that Nana and Bianchi left the house. Currently, Lambo was sticking his tongue out at Ieyoshi.

"YOU STUPID COW!" Ieyoshi roared, and lunged at Lambo. Lambo jumped out of his grasp and threw a grenade at Ieyoshi's head. Ieyoshi batted it to the side and threw himself across the table to attack Lambo. Tsuna snatched I-Pin off the table and pushed his chair back quickly, just as Lambo and Ieyoshi started crashing around. Eventually, Lambo kicked Ieyoshi in the head, stuck his tongue out at Ieyoshi again, until Ieyoshi slapped Lambo so hard he sent the child flying to the wall. Tsuna shot to his feet, and went to rush over to Lambo, who was staring at the ground with teary eyes, muttering,

"Tol-er-ate." But this time, he started crying, and began to pull something Tsuna had never seen out of his hair. Tsuna watched as the child pulled out a _bazooka. _A damn _bazooka._ How the hell did that fit in their? Lambo dropped it on himself, and it went off, and Tsuna set I-Pin on the chair, running towards Lambo. But the room was filled with pink smoke, and Tsuna couldn't see through it. When the smoke cleared, someone else was standing there.

"The Ten Year Bazooka." Reborn overvoiced, in a new costume. "It's a bazooka specially made by the Bovino Family, that switches out a person's ten years older self with their current self. Guess we'll get to see what Lambo looks like ten years from now."

"Huh. It's been a while." A lazy voice said. Tsuna gaped at the figure. Lambo was…older. He had expected that, but not exactly the large difference. His hair was messy, some of it covering most ofone eye, and he wore jeans and a jacket, with a cowprint shirt underneath. He was tall, and would have been _fangirled _over at Tsuna's school. He was just so…different. Lambo blinked. His green eyes had darkened a little with age.

"Well, he aged nicely." Reborn commented. "Looks like the cow-child has a bright future ahead of him." Lambo's eyes fell on Tsuna, and his face lit up.

"TSUNA-NII!" He hit Tsuna with the force of a train, and scooped up the petite boy, hugging him tightly. He practically squeezed the life out of Tsuna, who was trying to breathe. "YOU WERE SO CUTE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER!" Lambo nearly squealed. Finally, he put Tsuna back on the ground, and Tsuna almost stumbled, until Lambo steadied him with a hand on his shoulder. Lambo grinned at Tsuna widely, and Tsuna couldn't help but feel like he expected a response. Lambo noticed his unease. "Don't worry, Tsuna-nii. I know that you didn't talk much ten years ago." Tsuna nodded and smiled at Lambo, who squealed and hugged Tsuna again.

"THAT'S THE STUPID COW?" Ieyoshi roared. Lambo immediately released Tsuna, and wheeled around to look at Ieyoshi, his expression darkening.

"Shut the fuck up, jackass." He ordered, a death aura that Tsuna had only seen around Hibari surrounding him. Ieyoshi gulped and clamped his mouth shut. Reborn tilted his fedora, amused.

"You've certainly changed, Lambo Bovino." Reborn said. Lambo shrugged. "You must hear a lot about your looks." Lambo shrugged again.

"Future Tsuna-nii calls me a lady killer." Reborn snorted.

"No, I meant something else."

"Oh, you mean my resemblance to Lampo." Lambo realized. "Yeah, I hear that a lot too. But the lady killer part more often."

"What's the future like?" Reborn asked. Lambo grinned.

"I can't reveal much, but I can say its good." Suddenly, he paused, his good-natured grin dropping. "Shit. Kyoya's going to slaughter me when I get back, for my younger self interrupting- eh, never mind." Reborn raised an eyebrow.

"As in Hibari Kyoya?" Lambo gulped, and shook his head.

"No, a different Kyoya." It was so obvious he was lying to everyone except for Ieyoshi, but Tsuna thought that perhaps, Ieyoshi was the only one who Lambo really didn't want to know about the future.

"And interrupt what?" Reborn wondered.

"Uh, er…personal things. At least Tsuna-nii won't let him hit my little self or anything. He'll probably just give Little Lambo some grape candy." Really, how obvious was it that he was talking about Hibari Kyoya? But Ieyoshi didn't pick up, so the weak lie served its purpose. Lambo glanced at his watch. "Well, I have like, thirty seconds left, so keep doing whatever your doing, 'cause the future's fine." Lambo leaned over and hugged Tsuna for the last time. "So cute! They're going to be so jealous that I got to see little you-," Before anyone could ask a question, there was a puff of pink smoke, and little Lambo was back. True to TYLLambo's words, he was munching on grape candy happily. He blinked up at everyone with innocent green eyes.

"How was the future?" Reborn asked Lambo. Lambo smiled.

"Well, there was a tall man in a suit, and another tall man in a suit-," Tsuna felt like this could describe most of the mafia world. "-, and the one with the orange shirt held me and gave me candy! He was so nice. He reminded me of Tsuna-nii!" Tsuna tried not to look as bashful as he felt.

"Did anyone tell you their names?" Reborn inquired. Lambo blinked, but shook his head.

"But they called the one with the orange shirt…um….Tsunayoshi I think it was. Grape Candy Man." That was right; Lambo had never heard Tsuna's full name.

"Stupid broccoli monster!" I-Pin exclaimed. "Gege's full name Tsunayoshi!" Lambo looked at Tsuna with comically wide eyes.

"Is Tail Head right?" He wondered. Tsuna nodded, smiling. Lambo paused for a moment. "TSUNA-NII WAS TALL AND HANDSOME!"Lambo yelled. Tsuna almost choked on air. Not because he was going to be tall and handsome in the future (which was _sweet_), but because Lambo sounded so surprised when he said it. Was he really that short and….Tsuna wasn't ugly, but he wasn't gorgeous either. He was rather average. "IT WAS SO WEIRD! HE DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A GIRL!" This was humiliating.

"Why Gege sitting in corner?"

"And what are those dark lines above Tsuna-nii?"

XXXX

As the day passed, Ieyoshi was forced to put on gloves, scarves, and shoes to cover all of the embarrassing secrets. Which was a shame. Tsuna really wanted to see some of them.

The doorbell rang, and Reborn answered. He led a seedy looking man in, the kind who you could tell was a pervert on sight. Shamal was wearing a doctor's coat, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, observing the mummified future Vongola Decimo.

"The mummy's the one who needs to treatment for the Talking Skull Disease, right?" Shamal clarified. Tsuna nodded. Shamal nodded back, thoughtfully. "I don't treat men." He said, turned on his heel, and left.

"REBORN! YOU COULDN'T HAVE TOLD US THAT BEFORE?" Ieyoshi screeched. Tsuna shot from his seat, and ran after Shamal. He grabbed Shamal's arm, and spun him around. Shamal's face changed when he saw Tsuna. He pursed his lips and leaned against the banister of the stairs. He leered at Tsuna.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing here?" Tsuna's eyes widened. Well, he'd had enough of being called a girl today. He kicked Shamal in the shin hard enough to make him yowl in pain, grabbed Shamal's arm, and dragged him back to the kitchen. He shoved Shamal in his recently vacated chair, and pointed to his brother. Shamal sighed, and leaned back in his chair. "I already said I don't treat men. I only treat women. So I'd be happy to treat you-,"

"Dame-Tsuna's a boy." Reborn interrupted. The look of shock on Shamal's face was so priceless that Reborn took a picture of it.

"Really?" Shamal asked. Tsuna crossed his arms, rolled his eyes, but nodded. "But you look so much like a-," Tsuna kicked him in the shin again. Reborn looked impressed.

"Wow. You got him really mad."

"KICK HIS ASS TSUNA-NII!"

"GO GEGE!" Lambo and I-Pin cheered. There was just something they loved seeing about their older brother kicking Shamal.

"Anyways, Shamal, we need you to treat Ieyoshi-baka-,"

"SHUT UP, REBORN." Ieyoshi snapped, his face flaming. Reborn ignored him.

"Please, Shamal. He's the future Vongola Decimo." Shamael looked at Reborn evenly.

"I already told you, I don't treat men." He said flatly. "But I do treat women, cuti-," He started reaching for Tsuna again, and everyone gaped at Shamal. It was like he had just wiped what Reborn had told him from his mind. Tsuna darted away from him, and Shamal raced after him, looking lovestruck. "Come on, cutie! I don't believe that you're really a boy! You _must _be a girl! You're far too cute to be a boy!" He yelled after Tsuna.

"Go help your brother." Reborn ordered, and shot Ieyoshi in the head.

"REBORN! MAKE SHAMAL TREAT ME WITH MY DYING WILL!" Reborn knew Tsuna could handle himself; Reborn just wanted to see all of Ieyoshi's embarrassing secrets. Ieyoshi ran after Shamal and Tsuna. Soon enough, Shamal was beaten bloody, and Tsuna was behind Ieyoshi, grateful for the single-mindedness of his twin in Dying Will mode. Otherwise, his brother would be attacking him. Suddenly, Ieyoshi's Dying Will mode ended, and he spun around, sitting straight down at the ground, making sure his back was facing away from his brother. The most secrets were on his back, and he probably didn't want Tsuna to see them. He glared at Tsuna. Shamal pulled himself off the ground and paused for a moment, reading something on Ieyoshi's back. Ieyoshi realized that Shamal was reading too late, and spun around, smacking Shamal. "DON'T READ IT, BASTARD!"

"I'll treat you." Shamal declared. Everyone blinked at him. He shrugged. "He's the future boss of Vongola. I'll make an exception."

After a short explanation on how you never exactly cured an incurable disease, just instead, you found a disease with the opposite symptoms to counter the effects. If one disease made you have a fever, and another made you cold, they cancelled each other out. As soon as Ieyoshi was cured, and the Talking Skullls began to vanish, he raced upstairs, to put on some clothes.

Shamal had read the secret on Ieyoshi's back, that he didn't want Tsuna to see. And it had really touched him. He couldn't let the boy die without helping him succeed in his goal. It was for a family. But when Ieyoshi came back down, fully clothed, he couldn't help but notice the glare that he was giving his twin.

"Dame-Tsuna…." Ieyoshi started. And then he lashed out at his brother, hand latching around Tsuna's neck and with a war cry, screamed and pushed him to the ground, choking him. Shamal and Reborn were moving before they realized they were, prying Ieyoshi off of Tsuna. Tears had sprung to Tsuna's eyes because of lack of oxygen, and his throat was already beginning to bruise. He coughed, and sucked in loud breaths. Ieyoshi jerked out of Reborn's grasp. "If I ever find out that you read any of those, I'll fucking slaughter you." He said coldly, before stalking off.

Shamal helped Tsuna up, but his thoughts were somewhere else. He had rarely thought something like this, and usually he was ashamed about it, but he was just horrified that Ieyoshi had just tried to choke his brother. _I should have let him die. _Tsuna thanked Shamal without words, and Shamal watched the cute boy go into the other room. Shamal glanced down at Reborn, his thoughts written all over his face.

"That boy cannot be Vongola Decimo." He declared. Reborn sighed.

"I know. Tsuna has more potential. I want him to be Vongola Decimo instead. He's getting closer to it, but not yet. He's almost there. Just bear with me Shamal. I won't let Ieyoshi destroy Vongola. Tsuna is far stronger." Shamal sighed.

"But….that Ieyoshi does have power. I mean, we can't make a mute boy be Decimo, and Ieyoshi did do that thing on the phone earlier-,"

"That was Tsuna." Shamal was shocked. Reborn sighed. "Yeah. He doesn't talk much, but he was frustrated and furious, and I was more surprised about it than you were. He would normally never say something like that."

"But….that means he was trying to save Ieyoshi….." Shamal said, trying to make sense of the situation. "And that behavior doesn't just come out of nowhere…Ieyoshi must have been like that before…" Reborn nodded sadly.

"Ieyoshi's almost beaten him into a coma twice since I've been here." He admitted. Shamal gaped at Reborn.

"Then why did Tsuna want to save him?" He demanded. Reborn's eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Because he still loves his brother." Shamal decided it in the split second he heard those words. He would never follow the future Vongola Decimo. But say that Reborn's plan worked and Tsuna ended up being Vongola Decimo. Then Shamal knew that he would follow Vongola Decimo anywhere.

Unknown to the two of them, the twin above them could hear them through the floor.

XXXX

He was useless. He was so _useless! _Tsuna threw a rock across the yard angrily. Night had fallen, but he couldn't go to bed, frustrated with his pathetic self. Why couldn't he do anything? Why couldn't he fight back? He didn't want to just sit around and have other people save him! It was dangerous for them- he could fight for himself!

He needed training. He couldn't live like this. He wouldn't _stand _for this.

Tsuna didn't believe in using his fists, but there was an exception to every rule.

He clenched them by his sides. He didn't care how hard it was. He was going to train. He was going to learn how to fight. He was going to protect himself and his friends and no one was going to change his mind.

He made his decision, and then did the only thing he knew how, the one thing he knew better than anyone else in the world.

_"The looking glass, so shiny and new._

_ How quickly the glamour fades._

_ I start spinning, slipping out of time._

_ Was that the wrong pill to take?_

_ "You made a deal and now it seems you have to offer up._

_ But will it ever be enough?_

_ It's not enough."_

_ "Here I am, a rabbit hearted boy._

_ Frozen in the headlights._

_ It seems I've made the final sacrifice."_

_ "We raise it up, this offering._

_ We raise it up."_

His voice became stronger here, so incredibly strong, hitting notes in Tsuna's range that would have left any audience stilled by it.

_ "This is a gift, it comes with a price,_

_ Who is the lamb, and who is the knife?_

_ Midas is king, and he holds me so tight, _

_ And turns me to gold in the sunlight._

_ "I look around, but I can't find you._

_ If only I could see your face._

_ Instead of rushing towards the skyline,_

_ I wish that I could just be brave."_

_ "I must become a lion hearted boy._

_ Ready for a fight_

_ Before I make the final sacrifice."_

He would be brave. He would be lion hearted. And most importantly, he would fight.

_"We raise it up, this offering,_

_ We raise it up."_

_ "This is a gift, it comes with a price,_

_ Who is the lamb, and who is the knife?_

_ Midas is king, and he holds me so tight,_

_ And turns me to gold in the sunlight._

_ "Raise it up, raise it up._

_ Raise it up, raise it up."_

_ "And in the spring, I shed my skin_

_ And it blows away with the changing wind._

_ The waters turn, from blue to red,_

_ As towards the sky I offer it."_

_ "This is a gift, it comes with a price,_

_ Who is the lamb, and who is the knife?_

_ Midas is king, and he holds me so tight,_

_ And turns me to gold in the sunlight."_

_ "This is a gift, it comes with a price,_

_ Who is the lamb, and who is the knife?_

_ Midas is king, and he holds me so tight,_

_ And turns me to gold in the sunlight."_

_ "This is a gift, it comes with a price._

_ Who is the lamb, and who is the knife?_

_ Midas is king and he holds me so tight,_

_ And turns me to gold in the sunlight._

_ This is a gift."_

Reborn listened to the boy sing his heart out, and gave a demon's smile. The true Vongola Decimo would soon be ripe for the picking.

XXXX

Hibari's attention had been drawn by the small struggle outside his office's door. It seemed that Kusakabe was trying to keep someone out, and was struggling to do so. Hibari wasn't worried. Even if the intruder got into his office, he would be punished accordingly. When the door was flung open, Hibari glanced up lazily from his work, and almost grinned at what he saw.

The baby carnivore was the one who had thrown the door open, and there was a certain wild look to his eyes that Hibari found himself liking a lot more than he should. Not only did the baby carnivore seem more like a carnivore than ever, but it was _hot._

Yeah, that would have normally seemed weird to him, but people were perceived more attractive by others when they were more determined about something. It gave off a feeling of strength, which all people were unconsciously attracted to. So Hibari didn't think any of it. He merely thought that if he was seeing that in the carnivore at this moment, that meant he was ready for training.

The baby carnivore did seem bigger. Stronger. Taller. Well, a carnivore was a carnivore no matter what, even if it was a baby, Hibari supposed. After all, sharks are born swimming. He stalked up to Hibari's desk, and looked Hibari evenly in the eyes.

"Well, what brings you here, bunny-herbivore?" Hibari drawled, hoping to draw the carnivore out even more. The resolve in the baby carnivore's eyes strengthened even more, if that was possible.

"Hibari." The voice was no longer the soft and melodic one that Hibari had heard before. Yes, it was still soft and melodic, but it had _backbone._ "Train me." Hibari let his bloodthirsty grin spread over his face.

"It's about time you grew into yourself, carnivore."

XXXX

Tsuna answered the door, wincing from bruises. He had spent most of yesterday training with Hibari, because Hibari had pulled him out of class. According to Hibari, grades were for herbivores and this was more important. Damn, was he beaten up. But even though he was in a lot of pain, Tsuna was grateful to Hibari for teaching him.

But nothing could have prepared him for who was on the other side of the door.

It was Gokudera.

Gokudera's eyes widened, as he saw the large bruise on Tsuna's neck, and more on his body. He was almost sure that that bastard Ieyoshi had given them to his Onii-san. That only made him more confident that his choice was the right one.

"Onii-san, I'm sorry for taking so long to make such an easy decision." Tsuna blinked, but gave him a warm smile, like he was happy with his decision, no matter what it was. "I will never allow myself to follow that bastard again. I won't make such a stupid choice, Onii-san, but I would like to remain by your side, if you'd allow it." Tsuna smiled even wider. He leaned over, and hugged Gokudera. Gokudera was a little taken aback by the petite boy's actions, but he was grateful all the same. Tsuna pulled back after a little.

"Welcome back, Gokudera-kun." He took Gokudera's arm and started to lead him inside. "Come meet the rest of the family."


	7. Chapter 7

Songs: halo by Beyonce

Enjoy!

XXXX

"Too slow!" Hibari roared, as Tsuna barely dodged the tonfa strike. Tsuna wanted to say, _It's not too slow if I dodged it._ But then Hibari attacked in a flurry, and the next thing Tsuna knew, he was on his back, on the roof, and staring up at the sky, wondering how the hell he got there.

As it turned out, Hibari was a very physically and verbally volatile trainer. He leaned over Tsuna, glaring.

"If you want to even be half a carnivore, you're going to have to do better than that." Tsuna groaned and forced himself up into a sitting position. "You're too afraid to strike. You dodged without hesitation, but you pause before you attack and that throws off everything about you." Hibari informed him. Tsuna blinked at Hibari's words, but he could see it. He dodges. He goes to attack, but he pauses for half a second before he does. Not long, but its enough for Hibari to see his attack and dodge and attack before Tsuna can. Tsuna can't dodge. He gets hit. Repeat. Tsuna winced, and got back up to his feet.

"Again." He said, wiping some blood off of his face. Hibari watched him with impassive eyes.

"You need to learn how to hit." He informed him, before attacking. Tsuna dodged pretty well, and for longer, but the same thing happened again, because Tsuna couldn't stay on defense forever. Weaving in between Hibari's tonfa strikes wasn't that hard, especially when Tsuna began to read the rhythm of his attacks. He knew Hibari was letting him do it, but even then, Tsuna would fall out of his own rhythm and get hit. Tsuna forced himself back up into a sitting position, frustrated that he couldn't land a hit on Hibari. He slammed his fist against the ground angrily. Hibari put his tonfas away. "You're too afraid to hurt people. Grow out of it. It will only drag you down." Tsuna shook his head, embarrassed.

_I just can't hurt people. _Hibari scoffed.

"And what good has that done you? Your resolve is only halfway there. Fighting back, even to protect, is a two-way street. Be here tomorrow, and be ready to fight seriously, or I will teach you _pain._" Hibari turned and stalked off, his jacket billowing behind him. He hadn't even taken it off during the fight.

Well, if fighting seriously tomorrow meant being able to hurt people, then Tsuna guessed he was going to learn pain.

Hibari was a tough trainer, and though he didn't seem like it, he had a strong philosophy about fighting. Tsuna could still remember lesson one;

_Hibari was pacing the roof while Tsuna sat on the ledge, ready to listen to him. _

_ "Now, lesson one of fighting is that all long-range weapon users, and people who use a weapon to put a length between them and their enemy, are herbivores. People with guns are herbivores. People with swords are herbivores." Tsuna tilted his head, giving Hibari a curious look._

Why? _Hibari shook his head. _

_ "Not because they are weak. But because fighting close requires watching your opponent suffer, watching your opponent feel pain, and most herbivores will deny it, but they don't have the stomach for that. That's what separates carnivores from herbivores." Hibari explained._

That's why Hibari was making Tsuna fight without a weapon. When Tsuna had relayed this lesson to Yamamoto on a piece of paper, Yamamoto had shrugged and said,

"That's why he's making you fight without a weapon. Essentially, that was his way of saying, it'll put hair on your chest." Tsuna almost choked at Yamamoto's version. At the memory, Tsuna unconsciously rubbed his chest.

In the Disciplinary Committee's office, Kusakabe was giving his report to Hibari. When he was finished, he asked,

"How is training with Sawada-san going?"

"Hn." Hibari had his arms crossed and was staring out the window. It wasn't that the training wasn't going well; in fact, it was. They had just reached another lesson. Learning how to hurt people wasn't a simple task; it was something he himself had overcome at an early age, but that didn't mean it had been easy. Hibari was simply acting like it was simply for the baby carnivore, so that his student would be more driven to find a way to complete the lesson.

He didn't need the baby carnivore to hurt people on a daily basis; he just needed the baby carnivore to know how, and not to be afraid to, if he needed to. Besides, there could be two very different types of hurting people. The baby carnivore needed to learn both, but hopefully, would never need to use both. When the baby carnivore realized this, the lesson would be completed.

"You like to push him hard, don't you?" Kusakabe asked Hibari. Hibari flicked his eyes to him, and shrugged.

"Hn."

"Why? Doesn't it just hurt him?" Hibari paused.

"He'll learn from it." Besides, Hibari didn't want to describe the intimacy of someone being pushed to their limits. It wasn't anything sexual; but that was when people showed who they truly were, and that was what Hibari was looking for. Hibari wouldn't just take any herbivore under his wing and teach them how to be a carnivore; no, the reason he had not done so, was because he was picky when it came to his students. Hibari was relatively sure he knew who the former herbivore really was; but to train this baby carnivore, to turn him into a strong one, he needed to know all about him. That was a trait that Hibari didn't like to admit he shared with his uncle, Fon. But this pushing- the baby carnivore would become more powerful than anyone that dared to stand in his path. A sadistic smile curved onto Hibari's lips. His style of training was most certainly hard, but it was perfectly suited for the baby carnivore.

XXXX

"Tsuna-kun, are you getting picked on?" Kyoko asked suspiciously at lunch. Tsuna did his best to keep a calm exterior, while he looked evenTsuna shookly at Kyoko. Gokudera, who had been sitting with them lately, looked like he agreed.

_What do you mean? _

"She means-," Hana cut in. "-, that you've had more bruises lately. So, who's picking on you?" Hana demanded. Tsuna shook his head furiously.

_I swear, I'm not being picked on._

"Onii-san, if someone's hurting you, just tell us! I'll take care of them!" Gokudera enthusiastically started pulling dynamite from places Tsuna didn't want to know about. Tsuna touched Gokudera's arm, signaling for him to put it away. Gokudera looked disappointed that he didn't get to blow shit up, but did so anyways.

"Don't lie to us, Tsuna." Hana said sternly. "It's all over your skin." Yamamoto jumped in.

"Hana, he's not lying. He really isn't being picked on." Yamamoto assured her.

"Then where are all these bruises from?" Kyoko cried, sounding teary. Yamamoto and Tsuna exchanged glances.

_Should we tell them? _

_It couldn't hurt. It's not like you're being picked on. _

"Uh, hello? We're right here." Hana pointed out. Being around Tsuna meant that they had picked up on signs of body language and the weird eye-speak that they did. Now, it was practically Yamamoto and Tsuna's secret language in class, but Hana and Kyoko understood it to some extent. Tsuna sighed. Yamamoto grinned at the two girls.

"Don't tell anyone, but Hibari's teaching Tsuna how to fight."

"WHAT?!" Hana exclaimed. Kyoko just gaped like a fish. Yamamoto nodded.

"Yeah, I know it's hard to believe, but it's true."

"That bastard's teaching Onii-san?!" Gokudera exclaimed. "What if he decides to kill you or something?!" Ah, Gokudera. Ever the protective puppy.

"That explains the bruises, and why Tsuna never seems to be in class anymore, but that doesn't explain why Hibari decided to train Tsuna." Hana pointed out. Tsuna shook his head.

"I don't really know either." Yamamoto confessed. "Only Hibari and Tsuna know, and neither of them are talking about it." He looked to his best friend, with a sneaky smile. "Unless you want to talk about it now, of course." Tsuna crossed his arms and stubbornly shook his head. "Please?" Yamamoto shot him puppy eyes.

"DON'T PRESSURE ONII-SAN, BASEBALL IDIOT!" Gokudera exclaimed, and Tsuna gulped as it seemed like Gokudera was about to tackle Yamamoto. Yamamoto laughed and slung an arm around Tsuna, hugging him close for a second, before loosening his grasp to have it slung around Tsuna casually.

"Relax, Gokudera, I'm just kidding." Gokudera glared at Yamamoto, but switched subjects.

"Onii-san, have you studied for the test today?" Tsuna's eyes widened, and he sweatdropped.

_There is a test? _

"In Nezu's class." Yamamoto explained. "But you haven't been in the past few days, so he'll probably let you make it up later on. I mean, he has to let you take it later, since you didn't learn the material." Tsuna nodded, but Nezu hated him, so he couldn't help but worry.

"Do you want us to help you go over the material, in case he makes you take the test?" Kyoko offered. Tsuna smiled apologetically.

_That would be nice. _Gokudera pulled his textbook out of his bag, and opened up to the concepts they had covered. Tsuna went through the pages for a little while, trying out a few basic problems on a sheet of paper, while they all tried to help explain it to him. After about ten minutes of staring at the paper, Tsuna rubbed his eyes. His eyes always felt weird whenever he tried to read without them for an extended period of time. He couldn't explain his eyesight without his glasses, just that it was uncomfortable when it came to reading the tiny textbook print. He pulled out his glasses and slid them on. Oh- that was much better.

"Tsuna-kun, you wear glasses?!" Kyoko exclaimed. Tsuna blinked behind the lenses and looked up at the four of them. He nodded, having forgotten that he never told them.

"Onii-san! I have to wear glasses if I read too long too!" Gokudera said enthusiastically.

"They look pretty cute on you." Yamamoto said, and tapped the frame. "You should wear them more often." Tsuna flushed with embarrassment.

"Don't embarrass Onii-san, baseball idiot!" Gokudera said, and pulled Tsuna so that he could bury his face in Gokudera's shoulder.

"Aw, hate to embarrass you Tuna-chan, but you get easily embarrassed anyways." Tsuna groaned. Why did Yamamoto always have to put ridiculous nicknames with painfully true facts? Recently, Yamamoto had taken to using that stupid nickname to embarrass Tsuna. Yamamoto laughed. Tsuna moved his head to glare at Yamamoto.

_That's what my father calls me! _

"Then your father has wonderful choice in nicknames." Yamamoto declared. "I can so see you as a toddler, running around and getting lost, and then your father being all, "Where's my little Tuna-chan?!"

"Aw! You'd be so cute as a toddler, Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko exclaimed. Hana grinned. And joined in. Because apparently, this was Let's-Embarrass-Tsuna Day.

"Man, you'd be adorable." Hana said. Tsuna looked desperately to Gokudera, who smiled sheepishly, and said,

"Your mom showed me some pictures." Tsuna slammed his face into the textbook. Yamamoto ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry, Tuna. We won't tell anyone about you being ridiculously adorable. They probably already know." Tsuna flipped Yamamoto off and refused to show his face. When Tsuna lifted his head from the textbook to finally look at his friends, who were all grinning while they teased him, he had to fix his crooked glasses. "You're lucky you don't talk; it would make this so much worse." Tsuna stuck his tongue out at Yamamoto. Even though his friends loved to embarrass him, especially Yamamoto, Tsuna wouldn't have it any other way.

XXXX

Tsuna had no idea what was going on when a random girl approached him and started yelling at him while he was walking back home with Lambo. She was his age, with her hair up, and had decidedly to start yelling at him for whatever reason. Honestly, he had never even met her. He only knew that her name was Haru because she kept referring to herself in the third person. That kind of language, while not uncommon for small children, was a little strange for someone his age. She pointed a finger at him.

"You're the brother of the baby killer, desu!" Tsuna blinked, hard. He was sure Ieyoshi hadn't killed any babies. "You must be like him, poisoning the minds of precious children! How dare he sully Reborn's mind, and I bet you are doing the same to that cute baby there desu!" Tsuna almost sighed. Great. She was a psychopath. And Reborn had chosen to play along. "You monster desu!" She slapped Tsuna across the fact, hard. It wasn't hard enough to send him stumbling, like Ieyoshi's strikes were, but his cheek stung. Lambo made a noise in his throat, and jumped in front of Tsuna.

"You leave Tsuna-nii alone!" Lambo exclaimed. "He's not like the meanie at all!" Haru bent down, cooing over Lambo.

"What sort of ideas has he filled your head with desu?" Lambo glared at Haru.

"Tsuna-nii hasn't taught me anything bad! Tsuna-nii always protects me from that meanie, and Reborn, and doesn't let anything bad happen to me!" Lambo yelled, and clutched Tsuna's leg protectively. Haru blinked and looked at Tsuna suspiciously.

"Is this true? You're not like your brother desu?"

_I'm not like him at all. _Haru circled him, examining him, before stepping back, and crossing her arms.

"Haru thinks you're nice." She decided. "But that brother of yours must be pure evil desu."

"HE IS!" Tsuna signaled for Lambo to be silent. Lambo crossed his arms and pouted, but did so.

"Haru must get that cute Reborn away from the Satan incarnate! Will you help Haru, desu?" Lambo pumped his fist into the air.

"Let's get the meanie, Tsuna-nii!" Tsuna couldn't help but grin to himself. This incident had "Reborn Test" written all over it. So if Reborn wanted him to play along, he would play along. Besides, he could always blame it on Reborn if Ieyoshi tried to punish him for this, and his brother probably needed the lesson in being nice to people. So Tsuna shot Lambo a thumbs up, and Lambo hugged his leg again. "THANKS TSUNA-NII! TOGETHER, WE'LL TAKE DOWN THE MEANIE!" Haru smiled.

"You are doing to babies of the world a great service, desu!" She observed Tsuna again. "You don't talk much, but I like you, desu." She patted him on the shoulder. "I'll contact you when I've worked out a plan to take down that evil brother of yours, desu." She said mysteriously, and pulled a ninja mask out of nowhere. She ninja rolled around the corner and ran off, yelling, "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME, DESU!" Tsuna was finding her as annoying as hell. But it was still sort of funny.

"That girl is weird." Lambo said bluntly. Tsuna shrugged.

_But don't say that to her face. _

"Lambo promises that he won't." They walked back to the house, and after dropping Lambo off in the kitchen with his mother, Tsuna headed upstairs to work on his homework for the weekend. In the middle of his homework, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Nana called, and Tsuna heard the noise of the door opening. "Oh! Hello! Are you one of Iey-kun's friends?" A familiar laugh sounded from downstairs.

"No, actually, I'm here for Tsuna. Is he here?"

"He's right upstairs." Nana said sweetly. "It's so nice of you to come by! Tsu-kun! One of your friends is here!" Tsuna didn't need to be told which. He recognized that voice. He poked his head down the stairs, to see Yamamoto, grinning up at him.

"Yo, Tsuna. Hope you don't mind that I stopped by." Tsuna shook his head, and smiled. "Can I come up?" Tsuna nodded, and Yamamoto climbed the stairs, until he was almost face to face with Tsuna. "I was hoping you'd be here. Help me with my homework?" Tsuna nodded, and took Yamamoto's wrist, towing him to his room.

"You two have fun!" Nana called up after them.

"Thanks Sawada-san!" Yamamoto called back, before the door to Tsuna's room closed.

Yamamoto looked around at his best friend's room. It was rather simple, really, but Yamamoto felt like he would have been able to recognize it as Tsuna's room no matter what. The walls were a light sort of blue, and mostly bare. Light blue curtains pulled apart to let the sun shine in, and the windows were open, letting a pleasant breeze waft through the room. The rug was short, and covered almost all the floor. There was a small table off to the side, with Tsuna's school things on it. There was a messy bed, a nightstand with a few books or mangas on it, and a lamp. There were a few clothes on the floor, and some children's toys (coloring books, crayons, little figurines, a baseball) that clearly belonged to Lambo. There was a small sort of dresser on the other side of the room, cluttered with CD's, a few video games, and a few DVD's. A small TV sat next to it, but Yamamoto could tell it was rarely used. He glanced up at the ceiling. On the ceiling, there was a large poster of the night sky with song lyrics scribbled all over it in white-out. Overall, the room seemed very Tsuna. Yamamoto turned around to take it all in.

"So this is your room." He said. Tsuna nodded, and pulled out the table from the corner it was crammed in. "Does Lambo stay with you?"

_Most of the time._ Tsuna gestured for Yamamoto to sit. Yamamoto smiled and took a seat, unslinging a bag from his shoulder. He pulled out his notebook, and rubbed the back of his head, smiling.

"I kind of need help with math. Can you help?"

_Of course. _Tsuna showed him the formula and all that, and after a little while, they began to chat idly while they did problems. Well, Yamamoto chatted. Tsuna answered in his own way.

"So, Tuna-," Tsuna cringed, and Yamamoto's omni-smile widened exponentially. "-how are things going with Hibari?" Tsuna made a so-so signal with his hand.

_I've sort of hit a bump in the road, I guess. _

"Like what?"

_I can't hurt people._ Yamamoto paused for a moment, thoughtful. Tsuna watched, hoping Yamamoto would have a good idea. When Yamamoto brightened, like he was on to something, Tsuna did too. Yamamoto must have thought of a way to get past Tsuna's little problem.

"I know how you can do it!" Tsuna waited with bated breath. "Punch me in the face!" Did Tsuna say good plan? Never mind that. He blinked at his best friend.

_Say that again? _Yamamoto nodded enthusiastically.

"You don't have to like hurting people, you just have to know how. So punch me! It'll help you get used to it!"

_I don't think that's a good idea…._

"Come on, Tuna-chan! Or are you too scared?" Yamamoto teased. Tsuna deadpanned back at him. Yamamoto started making chicken noises.

_You know that won't work on me. _

"Unfortunately, it won't. Jeez, man, have some emotions." Tsuna scowled, while Yamamoto laughed. "Come on. Hit me! I know how to take a hit, and it's not like you're hitting me with anything besides your fist. It's just skin. I won't get hurt." Tsuna still didn't like the plan. He gave Yamamoto a wary look.

_But don't we have school work…._

"I'd much rather be punched in the face than work on this."

_Are you sure? _

"Of course I'm sure! I wouldn't be telling you to hit me if I wasn't!" Tsuna sighed, and drew his hand back, forming it into a fist. Hibari had taught him to most effective way to punch someone, without hurting yourself. He glanced back at Yamamoto, who was grinning back.

_I really don't think we should be doing this…._

"Don't back out now!"

_Fine…._He took a deep breath, and punched Yamamoto as hard as he could. The door to Tsuna's room opened just as Tsuna's fist made contact with Yamamoto's face.

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MAKE ONII-SAN PUNCH YOU?!" Yamamoto wasn't really able to respond, seeing as he was almost flattened to the floor. Tsuna squeaked in horror, and clapped his hands to his mouth. Gokudera rushed in, as Tsuna sprang up from his spot and over the table, to make sure Yamamoto was okay. Gokudera, who was chewing nicotine gum, came in, and started pulling dynamite out. "CONFESS, BASEBALL PERVERT! YOU TRIED TO DO SOMETHING TO ONII-SAN, DIDN'T YOU?!" Tsuna bent over Yamamoto, and helped him up. Yamamoto rubbed his face, where a bruise was already forming.

"Damn, Tuna. You hit hard. It felt like I got hit with a sledgehammer." Tsuna covered his face with his hands, silently apologizing profusely. "It's alright; I think my brain cushioned most of the blow. I wasn't using it anyways." Yamamoto said, with the same happy-go-lucky smile.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU NEED YOUR BRAIN FOR EVERYTHING YOUDO! NOW TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO ONII-SAN, OR I'LL SHOW THIS PIECE OF DYNAMITE UP YOUR A-," Tsuna squeaked again and Gokudera fell silent, but glared at the baseball player. Yamamoto waved his hands.

"Don't worry, Gokudera. I didn't do anything to Tsuna. I asked him to punch me in the face. It's for his training with Hibari." Yamamoto rubbed his face again and Tsuna apologized again.

"Oh." Gokudera said thoughtfully. "THAT WAS AN AMAZING PUNCH, ONII-SAN!" Tsuna cringed and covered his face with his hands again. Gokudera added on gently, "And I'm sure that the baseball pervert deserved it on some level."

"I thought I was a baseball idiot." Gokudera turned and roared like an angry dragon,

"YOU'RE BOTH!" Yamamoto snorted.

_I'm never doing this again…._Yamamoto slung his arm around Tsuna's shoulders.

"Aw, don't be like that, Tuna. The day may come when you might really need that punch of yours. Besides, I still have all my teeth. Don't feel bad. I was the one who asked you to punch me in the first place."

_I was the one who agreed to it…._

"But you're not to blame, Onii-san! The baseball pervert-idiot was only getting what he deserved!" Gokudera assured Tsuna.

"So I'm a pervert-idiot. Looks like I've worked my way up to compound noun!" Yamamoto gave a thumbs up.

"Don't get excited!" Gokudera objected. Tsuna sighed. Even though he felt really guilty for punching his best friend in the face, he did have to admit that a nice punch would probably put Shamal in line, who still refused to acknowledge Tsuna as a boy….Reborn had made Tsuna an I'm-a-boy sign to wear whenever Shamal came around.

XXXX

Later that night, after everyone had left, Ieyoshi came into Tsuna's room, who was reading, alone. He walked up slowly behind Tsuna, without his twin knowing he was there. Ieyoshi had a rag soaked in chloroform ready in his hand, and when he got close enough, he whipped it around Tsuna's head and pressed it to Tsuna's face before he could scream. Tsuna made a muffled noise that only Ieyoshi could hear and jerked, before going unconscioius, slumping against Ieyoshi's knees.

Ieyoshi bent down, and lifted up his petite brother. He was surprisingly light, and easy to carry. He took his brother out of the room, carrying him through the empty second floor to the bathroom. Everyone else was downstairs, eating dinner. Tsuna had skipped about by saying he was working on something, and Ieyoshi claimed he wasn't hungry. It had become the perfect opportunity.

Once in the tiled bathroom, Ieyoshi closed the door with his foot. He had filled the tub with water beforehand, and planned to use it for this. Ieyoshi knew it seemed kind of cruel, but Dame-Tsuna was competition. Ieyoshi was going to be a mafia boss. He had decided that the day Reborn had told him he would be training him. He wanted that position, that power, so bad, that he would get rid of everything in his path to get there.

It wasn't that Ieyoshi hated his brother- which he did -, it was Ieyoshi simply wouldn't allow the competition. Dame-Tsuna was _weak._ There was no way he was going to let him take what was rightfully his. And he was going to be a Mafioso. His father had been a Mafioso. It was in Ieyoshi's nature to destroy competition. Besides, Ieyoshi knew that he couldn't be the only heir who had ever gotten rid of competition. It was cruel, killing his own brother, but Vongola wouldn't do anything about it. Only Reborn considered Tsuna a possibility. Nono and his father saw Tsuna as a weak, pathetic mute, and would never believe Reborn about Dame-Tsuna being able to become a mafia boss. Hell, Ieyoshi didn't think Tsuna could do it. But he was getting rid of competition, all the same.

He dropped the petite boy in the water, holding the chloroform rag back to his face for a moment, before laying his twin's head in. He locked his hand around Dame-Tsuna's throat, and held him down, underneath the cold water. After Tsuna unconsciously breathed in some water, he started to jerk and cough underwater, his eyes opening and closing, unaccustomed to the cold water. He thrashed in the tub, but Ieyoshi simply clenched his throat tighter and held him down, forced Tsuna's arms together above his head and out of the water, holding them down. Tsuna tried to shake him off, fighting him, but Ieyoshi was still much stronger, and he was going to end this. Tonight.

There was one person who noticed. Haru had been outside, spying on Ieyoshi through his room. She had quickly distinguished Tsuna's room from Ieyoshi's room. After all, she could see Tsuna's petite figure through the window, since Tsuna left his windows open. When Ieyoshi left his room and went to Tsuna's, Haru was immediately suspicious. Because Ieyoshi was Satan and Tsuna seemed nice. When the chloroform rag was forced over Tsuna's face, Haru's eyes widened. Oh my god. It had been true. What Reborn said about turning Ieyoshi into a mafia boss. It was all true. Reborn was a _hitman_. And Ieyoshi was going to do something terrible to his brother! As Ieyoshi dragged his brother off, Haru ran out of the bushes, and to the front door. She banged on it until someone answered.

"Hello, can I help-," A woman, probably the mother started to ask. But Haru pushed the door open and ran into the house. She couldn't waste time! What if Ieyoshi killed Tsuna? Several heads poked out of the kitchen as she flew up the stairs.

"What's the weird girl doing here?" Haru heard Lambo ask loudly. She shrugged. So what if she was a little weird?

"Yes, I wonder what." Reborn's voice came, and she heard pairs of feet coming after her. When she was upstairs, she immediately saw the closed bathroom door, and ran over to it. She flung it open, to see Tsuna's weakly thrashing arms, and Ieyoshi holding him underwater in the tub. Ieyoshi started to turn around, surprised, but Haru screamed and kicked him in the head.

"YOU BITCH!" Ieyoshi yelled, but then his head slammed against the wall, and he groaned in pain. Haru pushed past him, to pull Tsuna out of the water, who had gone limp. She reached in and wrapped her arms around Tsuna's torso, and started to pull him out, but Ieyoshi grabbed her, and started to pull her away. She dropped Tsuna, who's head banged against the side of the tub, hard. She shrieked.

"LET ME GO!" Reborn and a tall woman with beautiful hair appeared at the doorway, and then saw the scene. They couldn't see all of Tsuna, but his one arm was hanging out of the tub limply, and there was a smear of blood against the white. Haru thrashed in Ieyoshi's arms, but all of a sudden, they were no longer around her.

"DAMNIT REBORN!" Reborn had Ieyoshi by the ear, and was dragging him across the tile floor like that, no longer smiling. He flung Ieyoshi into his room, and closed the door, taking out a key and locking it. Haru wondered why the lock was on the outside of the door, but then she remembered the boy in the tub and guessed that was a valid reason why. She reached forward, and with the help of the long-haired woman, hauled him out of the water, which was now clouding with blood. The woman looked very concerned.

Tsuna's body flopped weakly to the ground, water-logged, bruised, and hopefully unconscious instead of dead. Reborn was furious. How _dare _he? How _dare _Ieyoshi think he had the right to do something like this?! If Tsuna was dead, Ieyoshi would suffer like no one else on Earth. He leaned worriedly over the limp form of the boy. He just looked so…Reborn didn't want to say it. But his lips were blue, his face was pale, and his eyes were closed. Bianchi laid Tsuna out carefully, and leaned over the boy. She started to pump his chest, six times before tilting his head back, pinching his nose, and sealing his lips with hers, trying to force air into his lungs. She repeated this.

The girl who had originally came was who Reborn recognized as Haru. She must have been spying on Ieyoshi or something, and saw this accidentally. Still, Reborn was grateful that she had tried to help Tsuna. Tsuna would probably have been drowned by his own brother, and they never would have known without her. She was currently shivering, arms wrapped around herself, and watching Tsuna carefully. Her bottom lip was trembling as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. As Bianchi pumped his chest, she gently touched the gash where his head hit the tub. He watched her jerk her hand back in surprise, and tears drip down her face. Curious, he reached out and touched Tsuna's skin. It was cold. He jerked his own hand back.

They waited and waited, while Bianchi desperately performed CPR on the lifeless body. But it was becoming clear that Tsuna wasn't going to wake back up. She looked to Reborn hopelessly.

"Reborn…" She said, her voice thick with sorrow. She didn't know what to say. But Reborn understood. Tsuna was dead. And there was nothing they could do to help a dead person. Reborn tilted his fedora over his eyes, acknowledging the truth, and listened as the two girls broke down. Haru wailed over Tsuna's body, balling his shirt with her fists. Bianchi leaned back against the bathroom wall, eyes closed and head tilted up, tears streaming down her cheeks. Reborn wanted to cry, but he had seen things like this too many times, and no longer could. Or at least not in front of them. Reborn pulled his phone out and dialed Tsuna's friends. They needed to see this.

Yamamoto, Hibari, and Gokudera all arrived at around the same time, and Reborn led them up to the bathroom, where the body still was. He didn't have the heart to touch it yet. When the came to the doorway, fighting and laughing, they were immediately stunned into silence. Reborn was glad that they hadn't told the kids and Nana yet. If this was how they were taking it, Nana and the kids would break down.

"O-Onii-san?" Gokudera whispered. Reborn took off his hat and held it to his chest, a sign of respect for the dead.

"I'm sorry. He's dead." His own voice sounded strangely foreign to him.

"N-no. Tsuna isn't….dead. He c-couldn't be." Yamamoto said, his smile frozen on his face, but his eyes filled with disbelief. Hibari had remained quiet, unable to say anything yet.

"Yamamoto, I'm sorry, but he is. We did our best to help….but we can't save someone who's already dead."

"But Tsuna isn't dead. You shouldn't say stuff like that, kid." Yamamoto said, his omni-smile never wavering. But Reborn could see how close Yamamoto was to breaking down. In fact, he was in the midst of breaking down internally right now.

"I must say that I agree with the baseball herbivore. Do not lie, baby. It's unbecoming of a carnivore." Reborn gave a bitter smile at Hibari, whose face was stoic, but his eyes filled with a mix of emotions.

"Check." Yamamoto rushed forward first, frantically checking Tsuna's vitals, placing his ear to Tsuna's chest to listen for breathing. When he didn't find any, he lifted Tsuna up into his arms, and shook him.

"Come on, Tuna. Wake up. You shouldn't sleep in the bathroom." Yamamoto said, with another laugh, that was bordering on insane with denial. He touched the cut on Tsuna's head. "Wake up, Tuna. You might have a concussion." Hibari didn't bend down like Yamamoto did, but he observed from above, nudging the body.

"Wake up, baby carnivore. You are not allowed to be sick for training tomorrow." But Reborn knew that Tsuna wasn't going to wake up.

"Tuna, please. This isn't funny." Yamamoto begged the lifeless body, cradling Tsuna's head gently.

"Baby carnivore, _wake up_. Do not presume that you have the authority to defy me." Hibari said coldly. It was Gokudera who knew the truth. Reborn had expected it to be like this. After all, as a hitman, Gokudera knew death like the back of his hand. Especially how painful and sudden it could be.

"He's dead." Gokudera said quietly.

"Not you too, Gokudera. Everyone must bein on this." Yamamoto laughed, sounding crazier than ever.

"Baseball idiot, Onii-san is _dead. _Dead people don't wake up." Tears were streaming down Gokudera's face, but at least he was able to admit the truth.

"He's not-,"

"Baseball idiot, _he's dead._"

"HE'S NOT DEAD!" Yamamoto shrieked, his grip on his best friend tightening protectively. "HE CAN'T BE DEAD!"

"Look at him. He's not breathing. He's cold. And he has all the marks of a drowned person."

"SHUT UP!" Hibari looked straight at Reborn, and Reborn saw the anger in his eyes.

"What happened? Who did this to him?"

"Hibari-," Reborn started.

"WHO DID THIS TO HIM?" Hibari thundered, without actually raising his voice. Reborn looked down at his tiny feet.

"Ieyoshi." Everyone in the room went still, and then Hibari was past, Reborn, reaching for Ieyoshi's door, his tonfas out. Reborn blocked him, and Hibari looked down at him with dead eyes.

"Don't, Hibari."

"Move, baby."

"I can't. He's my student, no matter how much I don't like him."

"Move this instant, baby."

"I can't."

"MOVE."

"I CAN'T." Reborn roared back, his voice becoming deep again, closer to his original voice. "I would let you in if I could, but I can't let you kill him. I need to have that satisfaction myself. Let it go, Hibari." He said, his voice becoming soft and dejected by the end. Hibari's eyes narrowed.

"_Let it go?_" He hissed. "_You expect me to just let this go?_" Inside the bathroom, they both heard Yamamoto still pleading with the dead body.

"Please, Tuna, you have to wake up and stop Hibari from fighting. Please, Tsuna." When he got no response, Yamamoto finally broke. "WAKE UP, TSUNA! JUST WAKE UP!" He yelled, shaking his best friend's body.

"BASEBALL IDIOT, HE'S DEAD." Yamamoto's head whipped around to look at Gokudera, eyes hardening into a look that scared even Hibari to an extent.

"I CAN'T JUST LET HIM FUCKING DIE WITHOUT AT LEAST TRYING." Reborn's eyes widened. They never thought the day would come when they would hear Yamamoto swear like that. "WAKE UP TSUNA. BREATHE. DAMNIT, BREATHE TUNA!" He shrieked, sounding completely insane. "PLEASE BREATHE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Yamamoto slammed his hand into Tsuna's tiny frame so hard, that they could hear the cracking noises of Tsuna's ribs breaking. As Hibari stalked over to stop Yamamoto, suddenly, the body in Yamamoto's arms jerked, a strange coughing noise as lungfuls of water were forced out through Tsuna's mouth. Tsuna convulsed, his eyes fluttering open as the water was forced out of his lungs. Everyone was shocked, especially Reborn, who had been so sure that Tsuna was dead. Tsuna coughed weakly, and spat out a little bit of water, some blood trickling down his face. Yamamoto's eyes lit up, and he hugged his friend gently, but tightly, making sure not to hurt Tsuna's ribs. "TUNA!" He shrieked. Tsuna let his head fall back, sucking in air obsessively. After a minute or so, when Yamamoto had finally pulled back a little, still cradling his friend gently, Tsuna spoke, his eyes closed.

"I had a terrible dream that you were swearing at me and that you broke my ribs." Yamamoto gave the petite boy a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry about that." Gokudera, and even Hibari, were now surrounding Tsuna, in front of him, so they could look at him. Even Hibari had bent down, and was watching his student intently.

"Onii-san, you scared us." Gokudera whispered.

"Baby carnivore." Hibari stated. "Don't do that again." Tsuna coughed weakly in response.

"Good to see you alive, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn said, putting his hat back on. Tsuna's head turned to them a little, without his eyes opening. When they did, everyone's eyes widened. Instead of the usual soft brown, they were a hard orange, his pupil gone, his eyes glowing like fire. Yamamoto frowned, and touched his hand to Tsuna's forehead.

"Tsuna, you're burning up."

"Son of a bitch…" Reborn breathed out quietly. Yamamoto's frown deepened as Tsuna's temperature got higher. He pressed his palm to Tsuna's forehead, and suddenly, a flame flickered to life on Tsuna's forehead. Just for a moment; but long enough for everyone to see, and long enough for it to burn Yamamoto's fingers. Yamamoto jerked his hand back. Tsuna looked at them all evenly for a moment, before his eyes closed, and he slipped into unconsciousness, his temperature lowering as he did.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Reborn murmured.

"Baby. What was that?" Hibari asked, maniacally calm. Reborn turned to them.

"That was the Hyper Dying Will of Vongola Primo's bloodline. It's the process of removing internal limiters, to stress a person's potential. Not a single person out of Vongola Primo's bloodline can ever use such a power, and it hasn't been used in over four hundred years. And right now, Tsuna just bypassed Dying Will mode entirely, and jumped straight into Hyper Dying Will mode. The question isn't what that was, but how Tsuna is still alive." Reborn said, more to himself than them.

"Wait, Vongola Primo? Whoever that is, is Tsuna not a part of his bloodline?" Yamamoto asked confused. Reborn shook his head, just as confused as they were.

"Tsuna is a part of his bloodline….but this….just isn't supposed to be possible…."

"How about you contemplate that before the boy dies of a terrible cold?" Hibari interrupted. Reborn looked over to Tsuna. Tsuna was now shivering from the cold, and the gash looked nasty.

"That sounds like a good idea." Reborn agreed.

XXXX

When they had Tsuna lying in his bed, changed into warm clothes, and a towel over his pillow, Reborn had to fight Gokudera and Yamamoto leave. It wasn't until Hibari threatened to bite them to death if they weren't at school the next day, did they reluctantly agree to leave. After they left, Reborn turned to Hibari.

"Thank you. You may leave now-,"

"No." Irritated, Reborn was beginning to realize that Hibari enjoyed interrupting other's sentences.

"You should leave."

"I said no, baby. I'm not leaving my student like this." _Student? _That was right, Hibari was training Dame-Tsuna. Reborn couldn't suppress the burn of jealousy in him. Reborn had wanted to train the boy himself, and really didn't like the idea of anyone else training him. It wasn't that Reborn didn't trust Hibari; but after seeing his potential, Reborn had made it his goal to train Tsuna. Having that stolen by some middle school terrorist just felt…wrong.

"You don't need to be here." Reborn assured Hibari. "He'll be completely fine. Ieyoshi won't be getting past me tonight, if he survives it." Hibari sat on the foot of Tsuna's bed, crossed his arms, and glared back at Reborn.

"I will bite you to death, baby." Reborn sighed. There was no way he was going to get Hibari to leave before Hibari wanted to. He pointed a finger at him.

"Fine. But if you do anything indecent to him, Bianchi will bake you into breakfast." Hibari blinked to himself.

"Indecent?" he repeated incredulously. Reborn turned and walked out the door without defining the word. He turned off the lights and closed the door behind him.

Moonlight streamed into the room from Tsuna's open curtains. When the baby carnivore shivered underneath the layers of blankets that had been piled on him, Hibari got up and closed the windows. He came back to sit at the foot of the bed, observing the sleeping boy. He couldn't help but remember the sick feeling he had gotten when he had seen the boy dead on the floor, the knots in his stomach, and the way his throat had closed up. He closed his eyes, and rubbed his forehead. Something about seeing his student dead….made him feel terrible. Contrary to popular belief, Hibari did know how grief felt (all too well), but had never expected to feel it for his student. But then again, Hibari had been aware for quite some time that the baby carnivore had somehow become his….friend.

He didn't like the way the word sounded, or the idea of it at first. He didn't have friends. He didn't need them. But the boy had shown himself to be so, and that was when Hibari had remembered that some carnivores did in fact hunt in packs. They lived together. They had "friends". So while it was painful for him to admit, it was true that the boy was his….friend. Or at least the closest thing he had to one, next to Kusakabe. Not that he would ever admit any of this out loud.

Suddenly, the boy's eyes flicked open, and he abruptly sat up.

"Baby carnivore?" Hibari wondered, before he saw the tears on the baby carnivore's face. He reached out and reluctantly touched the shoulder of his student. Tsuna glanced to his teacher,and wiped the tears off his face, only for them to be replaced by more.

"You need to know about me to really be my teacher, don't you?" Tsuna said softly, and Hibari nodded. Teaching the boy was one thing. Anyone could do that. But to be his teacher, his real sensei, in order to help the boy learn about his own abilities and how to effectively use them, he needed to know a lot about Tsuna, which he did not. It was a two-way street though. Tsuna would learn about him in return. That was partly why Hibari had been so picky about choosing a student. But Hibari had picked Tsuna because he found that he was less uncomfortable about talking about himself to Tsuna. Not comfortable, mind you. But less uncomfortable. The sensei-student relationship was always a deciding factor to a student's future. "Then I'll tell you now. My brother is the heir to a major mafia family called Vongola, I could be if I wanted to, even though I wasn't picked. Reborn is his teacher and a hitman, I'm a hacker, my father abandoned us in every way but legally, my mother tries not to love my brother more than me, and my brother beats the hell out of me on a regular basis. I get my clumsiness from my mom, and nothing from my dad, nor do I want anything. I like to cook, sing and get petty revenge on people in stupid ways. I made the chibi video of Mochida and Iey-kun. I don't like my brother, being afraid, or tripping over flat surfaces and I hate that I still love my brother. Anything else you need to know?" Tsuna inquired, raising an eyebrow, tears still streaming down his face. Hibari blinked, and shook his head. Tsuna let out a breath, and touched his once again bruised throat gently. He had probably used up his word quota for the month in that one paragraph.

"Thank you." Hibari said quietly. Tsuna nodded, and wrapped a blanket around himself, staring down while he silently cried. Hibari didn't bother to wonder why. The baby carnivore had a million and one reasons to cry. Not sure how to do it, but feeling like he should do so anyways, he awkwardly reached over and tugged the baby carnivore a little closer. Tsuna seemed to sense that Hibari was having a very hard to time with this sort of emotional response, and scooted over, setting his head on Hibari's shoulder. He pressed his face into Hibari's shoulder, before silently apologizing for getting Hibari wet with his tears. Hibari didn't say anything. They stayed like that for a moment, with Tsuna dimly knowing in the back of his mind that he would be so embarrassed about breaking down in front of Hibari later. Especially because Hibari seemed to have no idea about what to do. So, as usual, when in doubt, Tsuna did what he could.

_"Remember those walls I built?_

_ Well baby they're tumbling down._

_ And they didn't even put up a fight._

_ They didn't even make a sound."_

_ "I found a way to let you in_

_ But I never really had a doubt._

_ Standing in the light of your halo,_

_ I've got my angel now."_

_ "It's like I've been awakened_

_ Every rule I had you breakin' _

_ It's the risk that I'm taking._

_ I ain't never gonna shut you out."_

_ "Everywhere I'm looking now,_

_ I'm surrounded by your embrace,_

_ Baby I can see your halo,_

_ You know you're my saving grace._

_ You're everything I need and more,_

_ It's written all over your face,_

_ Baby I can feel your halo, _

_ Pray it won't fade away."_

_ "I can feel our halo, halo_

_ I can see your halo, halo_

_ I can feel your halo, halo_

_ I can see your halo, halo…_

_ Halo."_

_ "Hit me like a ray of sun,_

_ Burning through my darkest night_

_ You're the only one that I want,_

_ Think I'm addicted to your light._

_ I swore I'd never fall again,_

_ But this don't even feel like falling_

_ Gravity can't begin to pull me back to the ground again."_

_ "It's like I've never been awakened,_

_ Every rule I had you breakin'_

_ It's the risk that I'm taking,_

_ I'm never gonna shut you out."_

_"Everywhere I'm looking now,_

_I'm surrounded by your embrace,_

_ Baby I can see your halo,_

_ You know you're my saving grace,_

_ You're everything I need and more_

_ It's written all over your face._

_ Baby I can feel your halo,_

_ I pray it won't fade away."_

_ "I can feel your halo, halo_

_ I see your halo, halo_

_ I can feel your halo, halo_

_ I can see your halo, halo…._

_ Halo."_

_ "Everywhere I'm looking now,_

_ I'm surrounded by your embrace_

_ Baby I can see your halo,_

_ You know you're my saving grace_

_ You're everything I need and more,_

_ It's written all over your face._

_ Baby I can feel your halo,_

_ Pray it won't fade away."_

_ "I can feel your halo, halo,_

_ I can see your halo, halo,_

_ I can feel your halo, halo,_

_ I can see your halo, halo…._

_ Halo."_

Hibari wasn't so dizzyingly naïve as to think that this song was directed at him alone. It was to him, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Reborn, Bianchi, Haru, Lambo, I-Pin, Kyoko, Hana, everyone that Tsuna had come into contact with that had helped pull him out of his almost complete and utter silence.

Hibari knew that he hadn't heard all of the songs Tsuna had sang, but in his opinion, this one was by far the most beautiful. Tsuna yawned on his shoulder, and hugged his arm.

"Pass on the message." Tsuna whispered, before yawning again, and closing his eyes. He slowly fell asleep on Hibari's shoulder, and when he was asleep, Hibari lifted the petite boy after his shoulder, and gently laid him back down. He gave one last glance to the sleeping figure, before standing up and preparing to leave. He wasn't needed here. As he was going to leave, he paused, and turned. He slid his jacket off his shoulders and laid it over the boy. He would feel better about his student's safety if that was there. Even if it didn't really offer any protection, and Hibari knew it was useless, it made him feel better. He looked down at Tsuna, and touched his forehead, where that flame had come to life before.

"You're going to be more powerful than anyone, Sawada Tsunayoshi." He whispered. "I hope I'll be there to see it." And with those words, he left.


	8. Chapter 8

Songs: Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes but I was thinking more of the Melanie Martinez version

Enjoy!

XXXX

None of them could stop panicking. All night, Hibari was sneaking in and out of Tsuna's room through the window, just to hear him breathe. Yamamoto and Gokudera kept calling, and even though they knew Tsuna wasn't good with calls because he couldn't talk, they would just stay on the line and listen to his breathing. Just to make sure it was there. They had never realized how much they depended on it until it was gone.

Yamamoto had come home for the second time in years crying. Tsuyoshi wasn't sure about what, but he comforted his son, confused by the mix of grief and joy. When his son kept getting up to call someone in the middle of the night, he finally asked who. But Yamamoto only shook his head and smiled sadly.

"Dad, can I bring a friend over tomorrow?" Tsuyoshi blinked. Yamamoto hadn't done that since he was little.

"Sure." Yamamoto brightened.

"Thans Dad!" He chirped, and dialed his phone. He frowned. "Gokudera must be on with him."

XXXX

Ieyoshi had been put through hell. In a single morning, he had been burned, bitten, sliced, diced, shot, bruised, and Reborn's favorite, half-drowned. Reborn had only taken care of the immediately life-threatening injuries and then packed him off to school to be beaten by Hibari, Yamamoto and Gokudera. Then Reborn had given him that fucking creepy demon's smile, and told him to come back to the training ground after school. Ieyoshi had felt like crying when he saw the way Reborn held the gun. As soon as he had arrived at school, he had been warned that Hibari had been looking for him, and immediately skipped first period, cowering in the boys' bathroom.

When people filled the hallways and he thought he could escape, he discovered t hat he was sorely mistaken when a hand settled on his shoulder.

"Ieyoshi!" He turned around, and was sent sprawling as Yamamoto's fist met his face. Everyone in the hall gasped and stopped, having never seen the happy-go-lucky baseball player ever do anything like that.

"Yamamoto-kun!" Someone exclaimed. Ieyoshi forced himself off the ground, to see Kyoko covering her mouth with her hands, a frightened look in her eyes. "Why would you hit him?!" Yamamoto smiled at Kyoko.

"Sorry Kyoko, but I'm going to fucking _kill _him." Everyone took a step back as Yamamoto's smile widened, bordering on insane. Ieyoshi wiped the blood off his mouth and tried to scramble back, but Yamamoto's hand shot out at lightning speed, and grabbed Ieyoshi by the front of his shirt. Ieyoshi gulped as he was lifted off the ground and clutched Yamamoto's hand as his shirt dug into his neck and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He kicked his feet, but in his rage, Yamamoto was far stronger than he was. His eyes watered from the lack of air and when they met Yamamoto's, he wanted to sob. Yamamoto….looked serious about killing him. He struggled, and Yamamoto slammed against the wall, so hard that Ieyoshi wanted to scream in pain, and he left a crater (A.N. yeah I know, unrealistic, but hey, this is Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Yamamoto is MAD.) In a flash, Yamamoto's hand was around his neck, and his right fist slammed into Ieyoshi's gut hard enough to make Ieyoshi gasp as he felt his ribs crack.

"Yamamoto! What are you doing?!" Someone shouted. Yamamoto glanced at them, still holding onto Ieyoshi.

"I'm sorry if this looks unjustified, but it's not." Everyone gasped, looking to Ieyoshi.

"Is that true, Sawada-kun?" Someone cried out. Ieyoshi didn't get an answer in, seeing as Yamamoto's fist slammed into his gut again, and he collapsed to the ground, moaning in pain. A foot caught him sharply in the chest, and he jerked back, yelling. When the next blow came, he rolled onto his feet weakly, and tried to defend himself, but for his efforts, all he got was knocked across the hallway, clutching his wrist in pain.

"Baseball herbivore, why are you causing a commotion?" Ieyoshi looked through teary eyes up at Hibari, who was standing by Yamamoto, tonfas out. Everyone looked relieved, because they thought Hibari was going to stop it. But Ieyoshi knew better and he wanted to curl up and cry. Yamamoto laughed bitterly, and pointed at Ieyoshi. Hibari's eyes narrowed at the figure on the ground. "Proceed." He said coldly. People were horrified. What had Ieyoshi done? Yamamoto grinned.

"Knew you'd understand, Hibari." And he attacked Ieyoshi again. A few people intervened when it looked like it was going to be too much for Ieyoshi, and pried Yamamoto away from him. When Yamamoto was forced back, Hibari rushed in, and attacked Ieyoshi with a ferocity on an entirely different level than what they had seen before. But no one could stop him. When he was finished, Ieyoshi was a bloody mess on the floor, crying and screaming. He picked Ieyoshi up by the front of his shirt, eyes narrowing. Instead of using his tonfas, they watched as Hibari punched Ieyoshi in the mouth, and hiss,

"If you ever dare do anything like that again, I'll beat the shit out of you." If he wasn't using his infamous catchphrase…then he was horrifically furious. Ieyoshi blinked back, stunned. Hibari dropped him and walked away, ordering, "Someone clean that mess up." Yamamoto pulled away from the students that had been holding him back. He gave a bitter smile to Ieyoshi.

"And just think; Gokudera hasn't found you yet." And then he left also, leaving a sobbing boy and a horrified hallway.

While Ieyoshi was being forced to lie down in the nurse's office, half an hour later, he found himself more furious with his brother than ever. Why did that damn twin of his have to be friends with people like that? If only he had just finished him off last night….Damn it, he would need to find some way to get rid of him. His twin was not entirely an obstacle right then; but he would be a major one in the future, and Ieyoshi needed him _gone._ But with those damn bodyguards of his in the way…..he needed a plan to get rid of them.

"I need them gone!" He yelled angrily, banging a hand on the wall next to him. Suddenly, the temperature in the room changed. The lights flickered. Vines began to crawl up the walls, quickly swamping the room. He scrambled back on the futon, terrified. What the hell was this?

"Kufufu, you need those three out of the way also?" An ominous voice sounded. Ieyoshi looked around desperately to find the source of the voice.

"Yes…w-who are you? What do you want with me?" He demanded.

"No one of great importance. But I believe we can help each other." And in front of Ieyoshi appeared a pair of heterochromatic eyes. "My name is Rokudo Mukuro."

XXXX

Reborn had received far more satisfaction than necessary from seeing his student on the ground, moaning and sobbing from all the abuse he had received throughout the day. First Reborn, then Yamamoto, then Hibari, then Gokudera, and now Bianchi, Lambo, and I-Pin. It was a miracle the boy was still alive. After leaving him in the watch of Bianchi, who had not only her Poison Cooking, but her gun trained on him, Reborn went back to the house to check on Tsuna. While he was walking there, he found Yamamoto heading the same way.

"Yamamoto?" He asked. Yamamoto glanced down and smiled.

"Oh, hey kid. I was just going to invite Tsuna to come have some sushi at my dad's restaurant." Reborn nodded. "How is he?"

"He's fine." Reborn assured him. "He spent most of the day sleeping though."

"Probably needs it." Yamamoto remarked absent mindedly. When they got to the door, they heard the voice of someone upstairs.

"And Haru is just so relieved that you are okay-," Yamamoto jogged up the stairs, curious to see what was going on. He found Haru in Tsuna's room, talking to Tsuna, who was sitting on his bed, in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt that swamped him. However, what caught his attention was Hibari's jacket around his shoulders. He had noticed that Hibari hadn't been wearing it today, but thought that maybe he just left it in his office. He smiled.

"Hey Tuna. Hope I'm not interrupting." Tsuna turned and blinked. Haru glanced warily at Yamamoto, before she realized something.

"Hey, you're the one who saved Tsuna-san, desu!" Yamamoto shrugged. He didn't feel like he saved Tsuna at all. All he did was break his best friend's ribs. Even if they had let Tsuna be, when they showed the body to Lambo, he would probably have started jumping on Tsuna, crying, and Tsuna would have been fine. All Yamamoto had done was hurt him. "Haru thanks you, desu!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "What are you here for?"

"I just wanted to invite Tsuna to my dad's sushi restaurant. I figured you hadn't been there yet and you probably needed a break." He said to Tsuna. Tsuna blinked again, considering this. Haru smiled.

"Have fun, desu! Haru needs to go now anyways!" She hugged Tsuna gently, thanked Yamamoto again, and headed out.

"Do you want to come?" Yamamoto asked. "Or do you not feel up to it?" Tsuna shook his head.

_No, I feel up to it. But I should probably change-, _Yamamoto waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't bother. You look fine. Just put on some shoes and let's roll."

_Are you sure? _

"Tsuna, we're going to my dad's restaurant, not a wedding. Get your ass in gear and choose a shoe." Tsuna smiled, and slid off the bed, hunting around his room for shoes. He was about to slide off the jacket and set it on the bed, but Yamamoto stopped him. "Wear it. You might be cold." Tsuna gave him an exasperated look.

_I'm not made of glass. _Yamamoto shrugged. Tsuna ended up wearing Hibari's jacket. Which Yamamoto thought was kind of adorable, and if the opportunity ever arose, he knew he would ship them so hard. It sounded stupid, but it would be kind of hilarious and kind of sweet.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Yamamoto already had his plan ready. But he was shocked to see Hibari at the sushi bar, looking like he was waiting expectantly. Gokudera was sitting beside him, with a black eye, from getting beaten up by Hibari for destroying school property with his dynamite. But Ieyoshi had to be carried back home he had been so injured after Gokudera blew him up, so it was worth it. When he saw Tsuna, Gokudera brightened. Yamamoto walked in with Tsuna, and sat down. Tsuna took a seat at the bar next to him. They immediately burst in too chatter.

"Onii-san! How are you feeling?"

"You missed a day of training, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Ma, ma guys. Maybe you should just give him a second to breathe."

"Are you suggesting that we're bothering Onii-san?"

"Did I ask for your opinion, herbivore?"

"Edgy, aren't we?"

"Do you have a death wish?"

"HOW ABOUT I LIGHT YOU UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE? STOP LAUGHING BASEBALL PERVERT, I DON'T SEE WHAT'S SO FUNNY ABOUT THIS!"

"You don't have to be so loud, Gokudera."

"I have to agree with the baseball herbivore. You insistence on yelling is obnoxious."

"Who are you calling obnoxious, freak?!"

"Silence, herbivore, or I will bite you to death."

"Why can't we all just get along?"

"Your suggestion is ridiculous, baseball herbivore."

"OI! DON'T IGNORE ME, YOU CREEPS!"

"Maybe we should stop being so loud. Tsuna's banging his head against the counter repeatedly. I think we might be bothering him."

"YOU THINK, BASEBALL PERVERT?!"

"Takeshi?" Tsuyoshi asked cautiously, not sure if this behavior was normal or not. "Are these your friends?" Yamamoto grinned.

"Yup. These are my friends. They're loud and obnoxious."

"I'M NOT OBNOXIOUS!"

"Silence, herbivore, or I will bite you to death."

"And destructive."

"I AM NOT DESTRUCTIVE!"

"Herbivore…do not push me."

"Aw, Hiba-kun is offended." Hibari smacked him in the head with a tonfa, hard.

"And do not call me be that ridiculous nickname." Yamamoto rubbed his head.

"Ow, Hiba-kun. That really hurt. No wonder us and Kusakabe are your only friends."

"I do not have or need friends." Hibari said coldly, smacking Yamamoto in the head again.

"Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that they are easily embarrassed."

"I AM NOT EASILY EMBARRASSED!"

"Do you wish to repeat that, herbivore?" Hibari said dangerously. Tsuyoshi almost wanted to laugh. Despite the threats and violent behavior from Hibari, it looked….fun.

"Who's the one on the end?" He asked curiously. Yamamoto looked to Tsuna, who was still banging his head in the counter. He slung an arm around his shoulders, and Tsuna lifted his head.

"This is Tsuna. He doesn't really talk to people he doesn't know, so don't be offended. It's only recently that he's talked at all, for the first time in years." Tsuna gave a soft smile to Tsuyoshi, and Tsuyoshi smiled back. "He's also the most easily embarrassed." Tsuna smacked himself in the forehead and Yamamoto laughed. "You know it's true." Tsuna buried his face in his hands.

"Well, no offense, but he does seem the most…level-headed out of all of you." Tsuyoshi confessed. Yamamoto grinned.

"Don't let his outward attitude fool you." Hibari nodded.

"His herbivorous exterior hides a lot."

"He's actually pretty sassy." Gokudera offered. Tsuyoshi blinked at the small boy, who lifted his head a little, smiling, and he couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath when he saw the hand-shaped bruise around his throat. Tsuna's eyes flicked to him, and he shrunk in on himself, covering his throat with his hands nervously. Yamamoto tightened his grip protectively around Tsuna's shoulders and smiled at him. Yamamoto grinned up at his dad.

"Hey, Dad, why don't you bring the special out for Tsuna? I'm sure he's hungry." Tsuna waved his hands.

_I'm not hungry. _He assured them. _You don't have to go to any trouble. _Tsuyoshi decided that he liked this boy and smiled in that Yamamoto way.

"Nonsense! I'll get you something to eat! On the house." He said, and left before Tsuna could protest anymore. Tsuna glanced at Yamamoto.

_Your father seems nice. _

"Thanks. So, Hibari, any particular reason why we're all here?" Hibari flicked his eyes to Gokudera, Tsuna, and back to Yamamoto.

"The baby carnivore has something he needs to tell you all." He said, and wouldn't say anymore. But Tsuna knew what he was talking about. Tsuyoshi came back, and slid a plate in front of Tsuna. Tsuna looked at it for a second, before turning to Yamamoto and narrowing his eyes. Yamamoto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, come on, it's funny, Tuna!"

_You're not funny. _

"No, I'm hilarious." Tsuna glanced over at Hibari, and held his hand out expectantly.

_Give me that tonfa. _Hibari handed it to him, smirking, and Tsuna whacked Yamamoto in the head with it, before handing it back with a silent thank you.

"Go Onii-san!" Gokudera cheered. Tsuyoshi snorted as he realized what was going on.

Yamamoto had made him give tuna to Tsuna. And apparently Tsuna had something against that nickname. Yamamoto rubbed his head, wincing, but still smiling.

When they all headed up to Yamamoto's room (the restaurant was adjacent to the house), Yamamoto turned serious.

"What do you need to tell us, Tsuna?" Tsuna glanced carefully at Hibari, who was leaning against the wall by the window, looking expectant. He took a deep breath, and with help from Gokudera, managed to spill everything about the mafia in relation to his brother. It was just too much taling in two days, so he was relieved that Gokudera was there to explain everything. Truthfully, Tsuna barely said anything. When they finished, Tsuna added softly,

"I just don't want you to get hurt." The room was still for a moment, waiting for Yamamoto's response.

"Well," He started. "I guess I'll just need to get stronger to protect you and myself, right?" Yamamoto concluded.

_Yamamoto? _Yamamoto smiled, deeply and genuinely.

"I would never abandon you." Tsuna let out a breath of relief.

When everyone had left, and Yamamoto was at the restaurant, helping his father clean up, his dad asked,

"Does Tsuna get abused at home?" Yamamoto's head shot up, and Tsuyoshi gave a sad smile. "People don't just stop talking."

"Yes." Yamamoto admitted quietly. Tsuyoshi closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again.

"Is he okay, today, at least?" He asked softly.

"Yes, and I don't know how. He's constantly abused, physically, verbally, and emotionally. He's just so…_strong._ And _brave_." Yamamoto said, his knuckles whitening around the broom. He lifted his head, and looked his father in the eyes evenly. "Teach me Shigure Souen Ryu." His father, shocked, glanced at Yamamoto, unnerved by the resolve in his eyes.

"You'll have to give up baseball. You can't learn the sword and play baseball at the same time." Truthfully, Tsuyoshi wasn't sure he wanted to teach his son Shigure Souen Ryu. That was why he mentioned the baseball thing. He knew his son loved that sport more than anything; he couldn't give it up.

"Okay." Tsuyoshi blinked, hard.

"Okay?" He repeated. Yamamoto nodded.

"Yeah. I said okay. I'll give up baseball." He shrugged and went back to sweeping. Tsuyoshi went over and touched his son's shoulder.

"Are you sure about this? You love baseball!" Yamamoto flicked his eyes up at his father, and Tsuyoshi shivered at the way they hardened.

"There are things more important than baseball, Dad." They stood in silence for a moment, before Tsuyoshi smiled. His son was ready to learn the way of the sword.

"Good."

XXXX

_This is irritating. _Tsuna realized, as he walked up to the house, that was swamped with men in suits. Gokudera was walking with him, and finding a way to glare at every single one of them. The men lined the streets, all the way up into the house. They let him and Gokudera pass, but Tsuna was wondering what the hell was going on. When they came in through the door, Nana was gushing at the bottom of the staircase. Tsuna raised an eyebrow skillfully.

"Oh, Tsu-kun! Iey-kun has such a handsome friend waiting to see him!" Tsuna glanced up the stairs curiously, and Gokudera suggested,

"Why don't we go see what's going on, Onii-san?" Tsuna nodded, and they climbed the staircase. Tsuna weaved his way around the men towards his brother's room, with Gokudera threatening to blow anyone up who he believed got too close to Tsuna. When they slipped into the room, he saw a man sitting in a chair, with shaggy blond hair. He was tattooed in a few places, and generally seemed to have a good-natured air about him. Tsuna blinked when the blonde man's eyes fell on him.

"You must be Sawada Ieyoshi. I'm Dino Chivarone, or Chivarone Dino, I suppose you would say here. I'm one of Reborn's former students, and the boss of the Cavallone Famiglia. We're an ally of Vongola." Dino said, smiling. Reborn came flying out of nowhere and hit Dino in the head. Dino cringed, and Tsuna grinned. He had thought Ieyoshi might grow out of that particular reaction, but apparently he wouldn't.

"Useless Dino, this is Sawada Tsunayoshi, Ieyoshi's twin." Dino blinked.

"There are two of them?" Tsuna could see and understand the flicker of emotions that were passing over his eyes.

_Twins mean equal rights to the position of boss._

_ Twins mean a fight._

_ Twins mean taking sides._

_ Which one will I choose?_

_ Should I be talking to him at all?_

_ Which one is the better choice? _

"Stupid Dino, Ieyoshi was chosen and Tsuna has no interest in the position of boss." Reborn said, smacking the previously cool-looking blonde man in the head again. Dino smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. But I had no idea that there were twins. Iemitsu must have kept it quiet for this ery reason." Tsuna stiffened at the sound of his father's name, and Gokudera touched his shoulder. "So you're the brother of the Vongola boss, eh? Well, if you get bored in Vongola, when your brother takes over, you should come and work with Chivarone. We have a close relationship with Vongola, and would love to have you." Dino said, smiling, waiting for Tsuna to say something. Reborn hit Dino in the head again.

"Tsuna rarely talks, especially not to people he doesn't know. Or doesn't like. We're not really sure which." Tsuna rolled his eyes.

_You could, you know, ask me. _

"I prefer to put you into awkward situations."

_Is Hell hot or cold? _Reborn snorted.

"Don't get cheeky with me." Dino blinked again, confused.

"What?" He said, sounding flabbergasted. Gokudera translated.

"Onii-san said Reborn could have always asked him, and responded by asking if Hell was hot or cold." Dino clearly understood the methods of the demon tutor all too well, and burst out laughing. Reborn glared at him. Dino slung an arm around Tsuna's shoulders, pulling him towards him. Tsuna would have squeaked.

"You know, I think we could be very good friends."

"OI! GET YOUR HANDS OF ONII-SAN! IT'S BAD ENOUGH WHEN THE BASEBALL FREAK DOES IT, NOT YOU TOO!" Gokudera flicked out his dynamite threateningly, and Dino grinned, but let Tsuna go.

"Gokudera Hayato. Aren't you a part of Ieyoshi's Family?" Dino inquired. Gokudera stiffened.

"Nope. Not even if that bastard paid me." Dino arched an eyebrow and glanced to Reborn.

"But word is that Ieyoshi's Family consists of Gokudera Hayato, Yamamoto Takeshi, and Lambo Bovino-,"

"About that." Reborn said, lowering his voice. "They aren't. And they never would. Don't bring it up around him. We're having a problem finding Famiglia members." Dino nodded seriously.

"I understand." He turned to Tsuna, and brightened. "So, how cool is it having a mafia boss for a brothe-," He dropped off when he felt the atmosphere in the room change. Gokudera had slowly begun to take out dynamite and Reborn's hand had wrapped around his Leon gun. "Reborn?" He asked curiously. Reborn glanced back at Tsuna, and suddenly began to look very much like a chastised child, as he put his gun away. Dino watched as Tsuna gently touched Gokudera's shoulder, and the famous, temperamental, not-to-be-tamed Smokin' Bomb Hayato put away his dynamite without a word of protest. And when Tsuna looked up, Dino knew why. He felt like he was in the presence of someone powerful, or at least someone he didn't want to disappoint or misbehave in front of. The kid had a _boss aura._ Dino couldn't wait to meet Ieyoshi. A voice broke through the silence.

"TSUNA-NII! IS THIS GUY BOTHERING YOU ABOUT THE MEANIE?!" A child yelled, as he ran screaming into the room, and wrapped his arms around Tsuna's legs. It was Lambo, the Bovino child. Tsuna smiled, and lifted Lambo off the floor. Lambo glared at Dino. "You weren't bothering my Tsuna-nii, were you?" Dino smiled and held up his hands.

"Nope." Lambo narrowed his eyes.

"Good." He twisted in Tsuna's arms. "Can Lambo have some grape candy?" Dino watched as Tsuna gave the small child a piece.

"LAMBO! YOU NO BOTHER GEGE WHILE HE'S IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING! I-PIN PUNISH YOU FOR T HIS!" A little Chinese girl came in, and Dino watched with interest as she used the Gyoza Fist to send him flying against the wall.

"THAT HURT, TAIL-HEAD!" Lambo cried out.

"SHUT IT, BROCCOLI MONSTER!" Both Reborn and Tsuna had the wayward thought that the foul-mouthed people who frequented this house should not be the people I-Pin should be learning Japanese from. Lambo cried, and started to pull grenades from his hair, and throw them around the room. Gokudera burst into action.

"OI! STUPID COW! DON'T START THROWING GRENADES AROUND! YOU COULD HURT SOMEONE!" He angrily pulled out some dynamite, and Tsuna wanted to bang his head against the wall.

"SHUT IT AHODERA!"

"I-PIN TAKE COVER! GEGE CAN HIDE WITH I-PIN!"

"THE GREAT LAMBO-SAMA SHALL DEFEAT THE TAIL-HEADED CHING CHONG!" Tsuna almost choked at Lambo's use of language (A.N. according to Wikipedia, ching chong is supposed to be a rude term for someone of Asian descent. No offense to any readers of Asian descent. It just seemed appropriate here). Where had he learned _that_?

Before the room could explode, Reborn shot some of the grenades out the window, and Gokudera batted them away, while Tsuna separated I-Pin and Lambo, silently scolding both of them. It was then that Tsuna realized that there were men outside. Dino sprang into action, flicking out a whip and jumping out the window. Using his whip, he flung them all far away, exploding a safe distance away from the men. The men looked at their boss with affection.

"That's our boss for you!"

"Always keeps us on our toes!" Dino smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry guys!" _They're a fun family, I'm sure._ Tsuna thought. When Dino was finally back up stairs, they heard the loud yell from downstairs,

"REBORN! WHAT THE HELL ARE ALL THESE GUYS DOING HERE?" Tsuna knew that Gokudera and Ieyoshi would immediately get into a fight, and Ieyoshi might go as far as to attack I-Pin and Lambo. Who, ironically enough, could probably defeat him. But Tsuna still thought it best to avoid conflict. He grabbed Gokudera's wrist, snatched up the children, and made a run to his own room before his brother could get up the stairs. He heard Reborn inform Dino in the other room,

"Don't mention anything about Tsuna, Gokudera, I-Pin or Lambo to Ieyoshi. He won't take it well."

"Since when have you been one to consider your students' feelings?" Dino asked with a snort.

"I don't give a damn about his feelings. I'm doing this for a different reason." Before Dino could ask, Ieyoshi burst in, and Dino knew better than to defy his tutor.

"Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing in my room?" Ieyoshi demanded.

"I'm a mafia boss, kid. Reborn was right. You have no aura, no authority, you command no respect, and you sound like a little brat." Dino observed.

"DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME?"

"Then take this-," Tsuna heard the sharp intake of breath from his brother, and then silence.

"A TURTLE. YOU HAD A FUCKING TURTLE BITE ME." Gokudera smothered his laughter in his hands while Tsuna grinned. Before Ieyoshi could say anything, Dino explained,

"Before Reborn came to train me, I was useless. I was always tripping over my own feet, I had no idea how to run a mafia Family,I was suddenly thrust into the position because there was no one else left for the job, and my Family had already been experiencing a financial crisis. In fact, my nickname used to be Useless Dino. What I'm trying to say is that if there was hope for me, there is hope for you too. And the look on your face was hilarious when I had Enzo bite you. Besides, this isn't just any turtle. It has special qualities. I got him from Reborn when I asked for Leon."

"Leon's my partner." There was dead silence for a moment.

"So you're telling me that they'd let someone as _fucking pathetic _as you be a mafia boss." There was another dead silence, as Dino was clearly stunned that Ieyoshi would act like that. "What are you looking at, Turtle Freak?"

"You certainly have a prickly personality." Dino said cheerfully. "But Reborn and I can work with that."

XXXX

Later, when Reborn had insisted that "Useless Dino should stay the night", and Dino's subordinates were sent away, they all sat down to dinner, Gokudera practically guarding Tsuna, Bianchi stabbing her food with a fork repeatedly and staring at Ieyoshi, Lambo and I-Pin having contests to see if they could throw food down Ieyoshi's shirt, Nana chattering obliviously, Reborn grinning in the corner, Ieyoshi twitching with barely contained rage, Tsuna trying to act like none of this was happening, and Dino was eating, surprisingly dropping a large amount of food, which Tsuna attributed to lack of use of chopsticks. He was probably too polite to ask for a fork, though Bianchi was having fun stabbing her food with it. When the awkward dinner was over, and Tsuna began to help his mother clean up, Dino stood up.

"I'll help too."

"Nonsense, Dino-kun!" Nana gushed. "You're a guest! You don't have to help. Tsu-kun and I can handle it." Dino shook his head.

"I absolutely insist." So he was polite after all. However, when Dino took a step, he tripped, and landed flat on his face. Everyone peered over the table, curious. He picked himself up off the floor. "Ow. Must have stepped on my shoe lace." Tsuna helped him up, and when Dino picked up his plate, Tsuna already saw it slipping from Dino's grasp.

While Tsuna had been terribly clumsy as a child, he had managed to grow out of it to an extent. He didn't trip over flat surfaces too often, and in the past, the only reason for his clumsiness was that he was too tired from being beaten by Ieyoshi to keep his balance. Now that he had begun training with Hibari, balance came naturally, and he dropped things less often. But in his entire life, even when he was at that terrible point where he broke everything he touched and fell so often he was covered in bruises constantly, he had never once dropped a plate or messed up anything when it came to dinner and mealtimes. That was his one skill. So when the plate fell, he tilted to the side and caught it before it hit the ground, lifting it back up. Dino smiled sheepishly.

_How about I take care of this? _Dino sighed.

"That might be a good idea. Sorry I can't help, but I don't want to break anything." Tsuna nodded and helped his mother clear the table. When they headed upstairs, with Gokudera firmly in between Tsuna and Ieyoshi, suddenly, at the top of the stairs, Dino tripped, and grabbed Tsuna as he went down, tumbling down the stairs and taking Tsuna with him.

"IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH ONII-SAN!" Tsuna crashed into Dino at the foot of the stairs. Dino smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as Tsuna climbed to his feet.

"Sorry."

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Ieyoshi demanded, sounding irritated. Reborn hopped into Tsuna's hair.

"Useless Dino is so devoted to his subordinates, that when they aren't around, his usefulness decreases by 50%." Dino winced.

"I'm not that bad, Reborn." Gokudera and Ieyoshi shouted at the same time,

"YES YOU ARE." Tsuna helped Dino up again.

"Thanks Tsuna." Tsuna nodded.

"Try not to screw anything up anything else, Useless Dino." Reborn commanded.

XXXX

A couple of hours later, they were running into the bathroom, watching a rampaging turtle climbing out of the bathtub.

"Oops. I forgot he grows in water."

"THEN WHY DID YOU PUT HIM IN THE BATHTUB!" Gokudera roared. Dino sighed and pulled out his whip.

"Stay back, Tsuna, Ieyoshi, Gokudera. If I can't at least take care of my turtle, then what kind of boss am I?"

"A terrible one." Ieyoshi stated from the back.

"Silence, Ieyoshi-baka." Dino started to use his whip to hopefully tie Enzo's legs together and pull him away, but because he was useless, his whip smacked back and hit Ieyoshi so hard that Ieyoshi was knocked unconscious. Tsuna sweatdropped, and Dino twisted, grimacing.

"Sorry." _He still can't function without his subordinates! _The turtle took a big bite out of the bathtub and started to climb out and towards them, growing in size. Tsuna wasn't as worried as he could be, but getting bit by that thing could break an arm or leg. Besides, _a rampaging turtle around the house _WASN'T GOOD. What if it attacked Lambo or I-Pin? I-Pin couldn't use Gyoza Fist on it, and Lambo's grenades wouldn't get through the shell. They could be seriously hurt. Dino tried to use his whip again, but just smacked himself in the face. Tsuna sighed, and grabbed Dino by the front of his shirt, slapping him, hard. Dino looked stunned, a big red mark on his cheek.

"GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND TAKE CARE OF THE DAMN TURTLE." Tsuna ordered, more panicked than ever by the thought of the kids getting hurt. He liked Dino. He really did. Tsuna thought he was a wonderful mafia boss, a kind person, and anyone would be lucky to have him as a friend. But it was about time he pulled himself together. Dino's eyes widened, and he shivered for a second, before pulling away.

"Got it!" He exclaimed, and his eyes narrowed as his whip finally turned into the weapon it was meant to be. He tied up the turtle in a second, and pulled it out of the water. Tsuna let out a sigh of relief and Gokudera clapped Tsuna on the shoulder.

"Good job, Onii-san." Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's head.

"Very nice use of authority." Tsuna shook his head.

Later, when they were in Ieyoshi's room, Ieyoshi still unconscious on the bed and Dino removing the moisture from Enzo with a hairdryer, Dino looked up at Tsuna, grinning.

"That was incredible, Tsuna. Reborn and my men are the only ones who have been able to get me to pull together. It's a good trait for a boss." Dino glanced back at Ieyoshi, a disappointed look in his eyes. He turned back to Tsuna. "I would love if you were to come work with Chivarone some time, when your brother is boss." Tsuna shrugged, and Dino reached out, patting his head, declaring him, "Little brother." Tsuna smiled.

"DON'T GET SO FRIENDLY WITH ONII-SAN!"

XXXX

_"Reborn?" _Reborn was walking up and down the hallway, pacing and on the phone.

"Yes, hello. I hate to ask you for a favor, but my student needs your guidance. He is volatile, violent, emotional, and a real jackass."

_"Sounds like a problem." _

"I've been trying to take care of this myself, and at first, I thought I could, but it has turned out to be a deeper problem than what I can handle or what I care to. I feel it would work out for the best if you were to talk to him. It would have a positive effect on him. Besides, I'm sure you would get along well with his brother."

_"I would love to help someone in need. When should I be there?" _

"As soon as you can. Thank you. I wouldn't be calling unless I needed it."

_"Of course, Reborn. I will see you soon. What is your student's name?" _Reborn wished he could say Tsuna. But he couldn't.

"Sawada Ieyoshi."

_"Thank you. Goodbye." _

"Goodbye."

XXXX

Fon rang the doorbell, but no one answered at first. He rang again, and soon enough the door opened, showing him a face he never thought he would see. His student, I-Pin. She was wearing a pair of glasses, and when she saw him, her face broke out into a wide smile.

"Master! You here!" Fon smiled. She seemed a lot happier than when he last saw her.

"Yes. I'm here to see Reborn and Sawada Ieyoshi."

"Reborn and Mean Brother are out. But I-Pin wants you to meet Gege!" Fon blinked. Gege? Big brother?

"I would love to." He said, curious as to who this "big brother" could be. I-Pin grabbed his wrist and started to tug him inside. Fon smiled to himself. She was a lot more confident than when he last saw her, if she was brave enough to drag him around.

"WHO'S THAT, TAIL-HEAD?" A small cow-like child appeared from nowhere, hanging from the ceiling and yelling derogatory things at I-Pin. Instead of getting all shy like Fon expected, she fought back.

"QUIET, BROCCOLI MONSTER! WHERE IS GEGE?"

"Tsuna-nii is outside." The "Broccoli Monster" informed I-Pin. Fon recognized him as Lambo Bovino. Tsuna-nii? Must be the other brother, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Fon truly wanted to meet the boy now. I-Pin towed Fon away.

"THANKS BROCCOLI MONSTER!" I-Pin went to the glass backdoor, where Fon could see a petite boy sitting on the steps. He had gravity-defying, soft looking hair, and Fon could already guess he was kind. He gave off a kind aura. I-Pin opened the backdoor, and a soft, melodic voice reached Fon's ears.

_"I'm gonna fight 'em off_

_ A seven nation army couldn't hold me back_

_ They're gonna rip it off_

_ Taking their time right behind my back_

_ And I'm talkin' to myself at night_

_ Because I can't forget_

_ Back and forth through my mind_

_ Behind a cigarette" _

Fon went quiet as he listened to the beautiful voice. I-Pin had also frozen in places, not willing to disturb him. Lichi, Fon's little white monkey, snuck out of his shirt and sat on Fon's head, listening intently.

_ "And the message comin' from my eyes says leave it alone..."_

_ "Don't wanna hear about it_

_ Every single one's got a story to tell_

_ Everyone knows about it_

_ From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell_

_ And if I catch it comin' back my way_

_ I'm gonna serve it to you_

_ And that ain't what you want to hear_

_ But that's what I'll do"_

_ "And the feeling coming from my bones says find a home..."_

_ "I'm going to Wichita_

_ Far from this opera forevermore_

_ I'm gonna work the straw_

_ Make the sweat drip out of every pore_

_ And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding_

_ Right before the lord_

_ All the words are gonna bleed from me_

_ And I will think no more"_

_ "And the stains comin' from my blood tell me "Go back home"..."_

The song had been soft and gentle, but with some sharp edges and places where it picked up a little. The three of them (yes, you include Lichi if you value your life because he's just that damn cute.) just stood there for a moment, before Lichi started applauding. Tsuna' head whipped around so fast that Fon could swear he heard a crack. For a moment, Fon saw exactly the perfect traits in a boss; the boy had a quiet sort of dignity and pride, and his eyes commanded respect, without meaning to. But then he blushed madly when he saw them, and covered his face with his hands. I-Pin ran over to him, and hugged him.

"Don't be embarrassed, Gege! You sing good!" Tsuna turned and lifted I-Pin up, setting her on his lap. She smiled up at him, and he hugged her, still blushing. Fon walked forward, and Lichi jumped off of him, and onto Tsuna's shoulder. Fon hurried forward to remove his pet, surprised by his behavior, but watched as Tsuna stroked the little monkey's head. Fon smiled, and went to stand in front of Tsuna.

"Hello. My name is Fon. I'm a friend of Reborn's. I'm actually here to help train your brother, but it would be a privilege to get to know you." Fon said, all smiles and calm. Tsuna blinked, and tilted his head towards Lichi, who was slumped against his neck, curling up on his shoulder.

_And who is this? _

"That is Lichi. He is my partner, much like Leon is Reborn's partner." Tsuna nodded, and smiled back. Fon waited for him to say something, but quickly became confused when he didn't. I-Pin explained.

"Gege don't talk a lot." Fon glanced at Tsuna. Even if the boy couldn't talk, he imagined that when he did, it meant something. Tsuna nodded, and I-Pin glanced up at him. She took off her glasses, and leaned up to put them on his face. "These are Gege's. Gege lets me use them." She said. Fon nodded, and she slid them on his face. When they were on, Fon watched as her eyes lit up and became hearts. _Oh….we've got a problem here. _The Pinzu Time Bomb started on her forehead, and she jumped off his lap and sprinted off before she could blow up by them. Tsuna blinked, and looked to Fon, his glasses slightly crooked on the bridge of his nose. Fon laughed a little, and hopped over to stand on Tsuna's other shoulder.

"I'm sure we will be great friends, Tsunayoshi-san." Fon couldn't ignore the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, stemming from his prediction that Ieyoshi would not be as good as Tsuna.

XXXX

"I don't like him." Fon informed Reborn when they were discussing Ieyoshi later that night. That had been a complete understatement. Fon had hidden his presence, as to see what Ieyoshi's character was. As cheesy as it sounded, it was true. Character is who you are when no one is watching. And what he saw didn't make him…_angry, _per se, but deeply disappointed. The boy had repeatedly put down the sweet twin, Tsuna, verbally, and then physically attacked him. Just a slap across the face while Reborn had not been around, but from the way Ieyoshi acted, Fon was sure that Ieyoshi had done far worse to his brother. Tsuna hadn't cringed or shied away, which Fon respected him for, but he didn't deserve such treatment. Furthermore, Ieyoshi had verbally attacked both children, attacked Lambo physically, and then treated his own mother with such condescension it disgusted Fon. Then, Ieyoshi had refused to participate in any chores, and stolen his brother's food. Despite not eating anything, after dinner, Tsuna started to clean up the table without even being asked.

The twins were truly opposites. Fon didn't mean to be theatric, but one was an angel and one was a devil.

Reborn sighed, and took off his hat, running his hands through his hair.

"I know…but I _need _you to try to get through to him. Vongola needs it. His family needs it. And _I _need it, before I kill the brat." Fon nodded.

"I'll see what I can do. On the other hand, I like Tsunayoshi-san very much." Reborn smiled crookedly.

"It's difficult not to."

"I heard him singing earlier." Reborn's eyes brightened mischeviously.

"Oh did you?" Fon could tell this meant something.

"What does that mean?" Reborn smiled.

"Tsuna's Hyper Intuition is extremely good, to the point where he can almost predict the future. He subconsciously felt like someone important was coming, and that's why he sang. And the words of the songs…he doesn't always realize why he chooses each song, because he doesn't realize what he subconsciously understands, but I think he already knows why I asked you here, beyond Ieyoshi. Think on the words later. They will mean the world to you."

"And the reason beyond Ieyoshi is?"

"I'd like you to train Tsuna in some basic martial arts. Not much, but if you choose to take him as a student and further his training, by all means, go ahead. But just enough for him to defend himself, should the time come. But you'll have to work out times with the one who is training him now." Fon's eyebrows knit together curiously. He had nothing against teaching the boy to defend himself. But who was training him?  
"And his trainer is?"

"Hibari Kyoya." Fon would have choked. If he was less civilized.

"As in my _nephew_, the uncatchable, temperamental, hostile, unsociable Hibari Kyoya?" Fon wanted to know. Reborn grinned.

"Yup. He's one of Tsuna's closest friends. I'm still not sure how Tsuna managed that, but Hibari cares very much about him, even if he denies it. Training is going pretty well, but Hibari is beating most of the lessons into him and it lacks a certain…finesse. I would like you to assist Hibari with Tsuna's training." Fon rubbed his temple. His nephew did _not _like him, probably because Fon was a better fighter than he was.

"When shall I begin?"

"Tomorrow."


	9. Chapter 9

Songs: blackbird by the beatles

But I'm doing this kind of fast so let me know if I missed a song, guys.

Enjoy!

XXXX

"Oi! Dame-Tsuna! We're bored. Why don't you entertain us?" Tsuna twisted his head to see the group of seniors behind him. His stomach dropped at the image of them. They looked stoned. Stoned people did terrible things. He quickened his pace, but the three seniors sprinted after him, and quickly caught up. They surrounded him, getting in front of him and walking him back into another senior.

"Hey, maybe we should get some food?" One suggested.

"I'm sure Dame-Tsuna has money." One guy's hand latched onto his arm, and Tsuna tried to pull away, shaking his head, furiously. He actually didn't have any money, and they knew that, but they just wanted an excuse to beat on him.

"Come on. We're all friends here, right?" One said with a shark smile, and he was shoved aside, where another senior caught his arms and held him back. He struggled and kicked, but before he knew it, he was taking a fist to the stomach. He gasped as all the air was knocked out of him.

"Aren't you going to say anything, Dame-Tsuna?" One teased.

"Yeah. Where are those friends of yours now?" A punch in the face, and a kick that forced his leg to bend awkwardly, pain flourishing. He tried to struggle, but they just held him tighter, and he took another blow to the ribs, hitting where Yamamoto had broken one. His eyes widened with the pain that came with it.

"Don't." A punch. "They." A kick in the gut. "Care." Punch in the face. "About." Punch in the throat. "You." Another kick. "At all?" Tsuna bent over, gasping as they released him, laughing. This had to end soon. It wasn't their words; their words didn't bother him in the least. But he was already injured, mostly from training with Hibari, and as small as he was, he could get seriously hurt.

"Of course not. He's Dame-Tsuna. No one cares about him." When they went to drag him back and hit him again, he lashed out at the closest senior. He stepped close, hooking a foot under the seniors, forcing him off balance, and striking him in the chin with his elbow. The senior's teeth clamped together hard and he howled in pain as he bit his tongue and fell back.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" They came at him from behind, but Tsuna ducked under the attack, and struck at the joint of where your body and arm meet. Then he easily hooked his arm around the guy's neck and shoulder, tilting the off-balance senior to the side. The senior stumbled, and to further this, Tsuna elbowed him in the side of the throat, hard. He hooked another foot by the senior's ankle and he crashed to the ground. The third senior grabbed his arm, but using an Aikido flip that Hibari had shown him, should a situation like this ever arise, Tsuna flipped him to the ground so hard that the senior groaned and didn't get up, rubbing his back.

Tsuna glanced back at the seniors, who were stumbling to their feet and rubbing various bodyparts, and decided that the fight had gone far enough. He turned, and sprinted away. But they didn't follow, so they clearly had no ambition to attack him again.

He still felt guilty about the fight, since it was clear that they were inexperienced and naïve, but he couldn't ignore that unmistakable feeling of pride for defending himself. Besides, he hadn't hurt them badly and they had it coming.

XXXX

Hibari was quite pleased with the progress his student was making. Outwardly, during lessons, he didn't show it because he wanted the baby carnivore to work harder, but the boy really was learning quickly. He still couldn't attack in earnest yet, but he had good defense, and he was far faster than before.

One day, in the hall, he had been standing in the corner silently observing the students. He had heard some rumors about drugs in the school, and that would not pass. So he had been walking around more, freaking people out. Currently, he was on the platform of the staircase, standing in the corner, and watching people pass. People were chatting amiably, quieter than normal, because some knew he was there, but there was still conversation because most didn't. He was unbelievably still. He was tempted to bite them to death for crowding, but he needed to observe.

As he was standing there, he saw his fluffy-haired student making his way down the stairs. Hibari could see it coming before it happened; there were a few guys standing by the corner, daring each other to do things, and when Tsuna came past, they were clearly going to push him down the stairs. But Hibari would not interfere; his student could take care of himself.

While Tsuna walked past, one guy got behind him, and shoved his arm out to push him. Tsuna swerved to the side, sensing the hit before it touched, grabbed his arm and pulled the already off-balance boy down one step, forcing him to stumble, trip, and roll down half a flight of stairs. The other herbivores stood there, mouths open, while Tsuna simply kept walking. Hibari smirked to himself, as he watched his student walk straight over the groaning boy at the foot of the stairs, like he wasn't there. He simply walked away.

Hibari lurched off the wall and followed his student, stepping over the body in the same way. People immediately backed away, giving him a wide berth. Hibari found his student walking down the hall, and caught up to the ambling boy quickly.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna jumped, and spun around, a frightened, but slightly indignant look in his eyes.

_Wear a bell! _Hibai's lips twitched in amusement.

"I saw what you did to the seniors." Tsuna winced, and bowed his head, like he expected to be bitten to death for getting into a fight, and "disturbing the peace." Instead, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He glanced up. "Good….job." Hibari seemed to struggle to get the words out, but Tsuna understood the message. Hibari was trying to tell him that he was proud of him. Tsuna grinned.

"Arigato." He whispered, before leaving.

XXXX

"Dame-Tsuna's a delinquent little brat! He attacked us!" A few seniors were claiming outside of the school. Ryohei, who was with his siter, yoko, and Hana, asked,

"Do we have a menace at school? That's extremely not cool!" Hana snorted.

"No, Tsuna is a close friend of ours. He's a kind person, but he always gets picked on and beaten up. These guys probably attacked him and he fought back to defend himself." She explained.

"Then those guys extremely shouldn't lie about it! What if he gets extremely expelled because of this?" Ryohei exclaimed.

"Exactly." Kyoko said. I'm going to stop this before they get Tsuna-kun into trouble." She marched over and tapped a senior on the shoulder. He spun around and leered at her. "Are you sure Tsuna-kun wasn't just defending himself?" The seniors spluttered.

"Of course not! He attacked us like a wild animal!"

"Mhm. And I'm sure he put those marks on your knuckles too." You could clearly see where they had been punching him. The senior sulked and his his hands. Kyoko crossed her arms. "Everyone knows that Tsuna-kun would never attack anyone. Don't make up such pitiful lies." The seniors glared at her as she walked away. Ryohei blined as he took in their injuries.

"This Tsuna must be an extreme guy! He should join my boxing club!" He decided. Hana smacked herself in the face. Kyoko offered a weak half-smile.

"Onii-san…" Up above, Reborn grinned to himself. If Tsuna had any romantic interest in Kyoko, and ever would, Reborn would set them up. But Tsuna would never fall for Kyoko, and Reborn knew who would be on Tsuna's mind soon enough. _That _was one scheme that Reborn was gladly looking forward to.

Thought, he wondered why Ieyoshi ever thought he had a chance with Kyoko.

XXXX

"TSUNA!" A voice yelled as Tsuna was walking down the street, going back home. He was bruised, beaten, and brain fried, because he'd missed so many classes and HIbari had given him a crash course study session, so he could meet his academic requirements. Surprisingly enough, Tsuna got more injured during the streamlining session than he did during the fights. But he had learned…sort of. Teaching was one career Hibari should never turn to.

Anyways, he turned around to see a boy with white hair, a bandage over his nose, dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, running at him enthusiastically. Tsuna began to panic a little when he started to get closer. Because Tsuna could see the trail of dust the insanely enthusiastic boy was leaving behind as he rushed at Tsuna. Tsuna would have squeaked in fear, if the boy had not skidded to a stop a few feet away from Tsuna.

"HELLO TSUNA I HEARD WHAT YOU DID TO THOSE SENIORS AND IT WAS EXTREMELY COOL! YOU SHOULD EXTREMELY JOIN MY BOXING CLUB! YOU SEEM LIKE AN EXTREME GUY!" Tsuna blinked, a little overwhelmed.

_Uh…thank you? _Tsuna half mouthed it, so Ryohei knew what he was "saying".

"YOU'RE EXTREMELY WELCOME. IS YOUR BROTHER SAWADA IEYOSHI?" Tsuna nodded. "THAT'S EXTREME! YOU TWO SHOULD EXTREMELY STOP BY TOMORROW AND SHOULD EXTREMELY JOIN MY BOXING CLUB. YOU ARE BOTH EXTREME GUYS. MY EXTREME LITTLE SISTER THINKS WELL OF YOU, TSUNA." Tsuna slowly began to realize who this was. Sasagawa Ryohei, the captain of the boxing club. He had only heard his name in passing, but he registered. He smiled a little. That was nice, that Kyoko thought highly of him. "WILL YOU EXTREMELY STOP BY TOMORROW?" Tsuna opened his mouth like he was going to say something. He wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't want to refuse Ryohei, because he seemed like a nice person, albeit a little overwhelming, but he didn't really want to join the boxing club. Maybe he could just stop by tomorrow and see what it was like, and then politefully decline. He nodded. "THAT'S EXTREMELY COOL. TELL YOUR BROTHER!" Ryohei slapped him on the shoulder so hard he almost knocked him over, and ran off, leaving another trail of dust and smoke. Tsuna blinked.

"That was very kind of you." A voice said, and Tsuna glanced up as Fon dropped down from a nearby tree to sit on Tsuna's shoulder. "I suspect that you have no ambition or desire to join the boxing club, but will go tomorrow to be polite?" Tsuna nodded. Lichi climbed off of Fon and sat on Tsuna's head. "Maybe you will like it." Fon suggested. "At the very least, Ryohei would be a good person to train with for reflexes. He hits hard and fast." Tsuna shrugged a little. "You should fight with him tomorrow, just for practice." Tsuna sensed a sort of heaviness behind Fon's words, and looked at him curiously. Fon folded his hands and smiled. "I don't mean to be sneaky, so I'll tell you the truth. Reborn has asked me to train you, and I agreed. I hope you don't mind."

_I don't mind. _Even though normally, it would take people awhile to catch onto the Tsuna-speak, Fon, as observant as he was, could understand most of it. He wasn't an Arcobaleno for nothing.

"I'm glad. Today, how do you feel about training right after you stop at home?"

_Where?_

"I have an old friend that has allowed me to use his dojo. We will be training there for an hour or two." Tsuna nodded again, and Fon smiled. "Don't worry; I won't be training you hardcore yet. Just a few katas, flips, blocks, and meditation. You can relax." Tsuna let out a breath. Fon had noticed how he was bruised up from training with Hibari, and how he stiffened at the mention of training, just a little. His nephew must run a tight ship.

XXXX

The meditation had done Tsuna a world of good; Fon could tell. Tsuna had picked up on the katas right away, and Fon had sentenced him two to start with, so he could remember them. Afterwards, Fon had alternated between teaching him flips, blocks, and making him do katas (A.N. for anyone who doesn't know, katas are like drills for martial arts. Or at least that's how I understand it. They are practiced move sets. They CAN be useful in fights, but sometimes they are just used for practice.) Fon was pleased to see that his nephew had taught Tsuna the basics of flips and blocks, so Fon could teach him on a slightly higher level. Fon really wanted to focus on flips and blocks; Tsuna was small, fast, and good at dodging, which meant he probably wouldn't need to use them a lot, but on the flip side, since he was so small, he wasn't powerful enough to block a punch from someone like Ryohei, had Ryohei been a malicious enemy. Trying to block in a simple way, like with an arm block meant Tsuna could end up with a broken arm. Better than taking a punch like that in the throat or head and probably dying, but still. A broken arm in a fight of life or death could mean it was all over for you. So Fon taught him blocks that manipulated the force of the punch away from the victim. Forcing an arm to move in a way so that Tsuna could simply roll the punch right off and flip his opponent while he was still in the middle of an attack.

Fon couldn't help but be amused at Tsuna's sense of balance. Outside of a fight or practice, Fon had seen Tsuna stumble often, even if he didn't fall down as much anymore. His sense of balance was terrible; better, but still terrible in comparison to most people. He hadn't told anyone, but he had almost laughed when Tsuna, home alone for the moment after he got out of school, fell down the stairs. Tsuna hadn't known Fon was watching from a carefully hidden perch, and had muttered something about gravity being a vindictive bitch. Fon had to leave the room as not to alert his presence to his student while he laughed, hard.

But then, Tsuna started the katas, which involved using kicks and lifting legs, and moving our center of gravity rapidly, and he didn't fall once, and he only tilted once or twice, before carefully regaining every bit of his balance. He was perfectly on balance in fights, and could move quickly without tripping or stumbling. It was simply amazing. Fon suspected that part of Tsuna's clumsiness stemmed from him thinking about it. He was probably naturally a little klutzy as a child, but would have grown out of it, if not for all the students calling him Dame-Tsuna and pushing him to make him fall. He expected to fall, so he did. Tsuna was actually quite coordinated; it was only that during a fight, his priorities weren't, "How do I not fall?" and instead, were, "How do I not get beaten?" His body knew how to move; he was just constantly psyching himself out.

Now, in the last hour, Fon had shown him meditation, and Tsuna had taken to it pretty well. His posture could use some work, but he was mentally exhausted, and the meditation was allowing him to unload and sort through his mind. Fon smiled at his student. He made a mental note to allow some time for meditation every training session. Not only would it help him clear his head, but the constant clearness would make him far more aware, and might even help with his clumsiness.

People had been calling his new student Dame-Tsuna for years, and Fon thought that was cruel, beyond just the name. No one had actually realized that with a little guidance, Dame-Tsuna wasn't dame at all. If he had simply been included in a sport, he probably would have pulled together. But everyone was too busy making fun of him for his shortcomings to make themselves feel better, so they never bothered to help, and to Fon, that was just sad. And despite their cruel behavior, Tsuna never said a word against them. That made Fon want to applaud his student for being the better man.

He was glad he would get to train Tsuna; it was relaxing. The atmosphere was cheerful, Tsuna was quietly enthusiastic, and he treated Fon with respect, kindness, and friendliness. It made Fon remember why he liked teaching.

When meditation was over, Fon alerted Tsuna by shaking him. Tsuna opened his eyes, blinking. He looked better. Less tired, less stressed. Fon suspected that Tsuna often just needed a moment, that he never got. He smiled at Tsuna.

"You did very well today, Tsunayoshi-san. Do you want to go straight home? I think it would be a pleasant surprise for your friend, Yamamoto, if you stopped inside TakeSushi." Tsuna smiled, and unfolded his legs, slowly getting up. He nodded.

_That sounds nice. But I'd still like to be home in time for dinner. _

"You could always eat there." Fon suggested. Tsuna shook his head.

_I don't have any money with me. _

"Lucky for you, I thought of this from the beginning and picked up your wallet before we left the house." He handed it to Tsuna, who stared at it, probably wondering how Fon found it. But to Fon, where people kept important things was all in their psychology. Needless to say, he could be a wonderful thief if he ever turned to a life of crime.

_Thank you. Are you going to come with me?_ Fon shook his head.

"No; I must talk to Reborn. But I'll let your family know to eat dinner without you, and that Ryohei wants Ieyoshi to stop by the boxing club tomorrow." Fon offered. Tsuna smiled at him brightly. As they were leaving the old dojo, Tsuna stopped, and gave a small bow, and then said in an extremely quiet voice,

"Arigato." Fon's smile widened.

XXXX

The next day, at school, when Hibari was dragging him up to the roof after a test to train, he immediately noticed how his student's movements became a lot more fluid. Not only that, but he had managed to land a punch without hesitating too much. It didn't hurt in the least, but the point was that it made contact. It wasn't that his student had suddenly become amazing overnight; but he seemed fully prepared for the fight, instead of just scampering around his blows, desperately trying not to get hit, and moving so fast and jerkily that he would often have to essentially walk into a blow to prevent from falling, which would have been worse. His student hadn't actually improved; he was just more ready for the fight.

Hibari paused his next blow.

"You seem more prepared today." He pointed out suspiciously. Tsuna shrugged.

_I slept well last night and Iey-kun didn't bother Lambo, I-Pin, or me. _It was true; the time to sort out his thoughts during Fon's training had helped a ton for Tsuna, he got through his homework faster, without all those distracting thoughts getting in the way, and he had been able to get to sleep easier, without his mind being filled up with so many thoughts. He had never realized the effectiveness of taking a moment to relax. But half of his good sleep and lack of stress was Ieyoshi leaving him and the kids alone. He had still heard the sounds of Bianchi throwing Poison Cooking at him, but that didn't really concern him and he could relax without worry. It felt….good.

"I heard that the boxing herbivore invited you to the club." Hibari said. "Are you joining? If so, I will bite both of you to death for cutting into training time." Tsuna sweatdropped, but shook his head.

_No, I'm just stopping by today because he was just so…..enthusiastic. Iey-kun might though._ Hibari clearly thought of Ieyoshi being pummeled by a relentlessly, maniacally, enthusiastic Ryohei and smirked. Tsuna stared at him incredulously._ That's really not nice, Hibari-san. _

"Hn."

"Ow! Get out of the way!"

"The doors right there, Gokudera. It's not like I'm getting in the way."

"You and your goddamned long limbs keep getting in the way! Just let me through, damn it!"

"You're just jealous that I'm taller than you."

"OF COURSE I'M NOT, PERVERT-IDIOT. MY HEIGHT IS PERFECTLY NORMAL, YOU GIANT."

"I'm sensing jealousy here. It's okay Gokudera! You're not done growing yet!"

"SHUT UP!" Gokudera screeched, and the door went flying open. Hibari already had his tonfas out, and beat both Yamamoto and Gokudera into the ground the moment they stepped onto the roof. Afterwards, while Yamamoto was rubbing his head, Gokudera was cursing profusely, and Hibari was cleaning blood off of his tonfas smugly, Yamamoto said,

"I heard Ryohei invited you to the boxing club." Tsuna blinked. Where the hell were these people getting this information? "You going to join? Because I heard you were stopping by later today." Honestly, he hadn't told anyone anything. Where did people hear this?! Tsuna shook his head anyways, and Yamamoto grinned. "Well, why don't Gokudera and I go with you? Besides, I'm sure Ryohei's gonna beat Ieyoshi into the ground. He's a good guy, and he never means any ill will towards anyone, but he doesn't understand the concept of self control."

"That bastard better not touch Onii-san." Gokudera grumbled.

"You guys hungry?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna nodded, and Yamamoto produced both his lunch and Tsuna's. They sat down in a circle ( well, Hibari was leaning against the wall, listening, but he doesn't really count. He would never sit down in a circle), and Yamamoto passed Tsuna's bento to him. "I grabbed this out of your locker." _HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW MY COMBINATION?! _Tsuna wanted to scream, seriously panicked by the thought that maybe people could read minds, and Reborn had been serious when he told him that. And that the ability had spread to was just something that disturbed him about it.

Tsuna opened up his bento, and started to eat. Gokudera had his own lunch, and Tsuna noticed Hibari was eating an apple. He flicked his eyes up to him.

_Do you want some? _He offered silently.

"Hn." Tsuna took that as a "maybe, but not now."

"How's training going for Ieyoshi's mafia thing? Is Reborn-san putting him through hell?" Gokudera inquired. Tsuna nodded.

_He really cracked down lately, if it was possible for his training to get any more hellish than it already was._

"Tch. The bastard deserved it."

"Anything interesting happen?" Yamamoto asked.

_Well, actually, yes._ He hadn't gotten a chance to fully explain the Dino incident to Yamamoto. He kind of needed Gokudera for that. Tsuna was talking a little more around his friends, but still not much, and explaining a story was far too much for him. Tsuna looked to Gokudera, and Gokudera nodded.

"The boss of the Chivarone Family came to meet Ieyoshi, and ran into Tsuna first. He was kind of annoying, and when his subordinates aren't around, his usefulness physically decreases by fifty percent so he kept falling and tripping and it was hard to believe he was a real mafia boss." Gokudera said coldly. Tsuna shrugged.

_He was pretty cool and strong when his subordinates were around though_Tsuna pointed out, jabbing his chopsticks for effect.

"Why would the baby choose someone so useless to introduce the herbivorous brat to?" Hibari wanted to know. Tsuna shrugged again.

_Dino-san was actually an ideal boss with his subordinates around, so he really was a good template. _

"Also, Chivarone was Reborn-san's former student. Apparently, before Reborn-san met him, he was so useless that his nickname was Useless Dino, but when he was forced to be a boss after his family died suddenly. He actually did pull the family out of so many terrible situations and out of a financial crisis, so I'll give the guy that. Weird and annoying, but not an entirely awful boss when he needed to be." Gokudera admitted. "But he had this weird turtle pet that grew when you put it in water and ate everything, and it could easily grow to the size of a house. It found its way to the bathtub and almost ate us." Yamamoto burst out laughing, at the thought of his two friends being attacked by a giant, hungry turtle. "And Chivarone was so useless that he couldn't even use his weapon to stop the damn turtle without hurting someone or himself by accident. It was Onii-san who forced him to pull together, since Chivarone accidentally knocked out Ieyoshi." Yamamoto laughed so hard he snorted. "I'm not sure if the correct term is "turtle slap", but Tsuna pulled him together by swearing at him and turtle slapping the shit out of him." Yamamoto had to lie down and force himself to breathe he was laughing so hard at the blunt story. He turned to Tsuna, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, and grinned at his best friend.

"I wish I had been there to see it." Tsuna blushed.

_It wasn't that funny._

"Tsuna. You swore at him. That sounds hilarious." Yamamoto sat up and slung his arm around Tsuna's shoulders, still grinning. Gokudera was smiling a little too, and Hibari was standing to the side, smirking. After a minute, he came over and took a few bites of Tsuna's bento, before returning to his position on the wall.

Afterschool, Gokudera and Yamamoto accompanied him to the boxing club. While they were walking, Ieyoshi ended up next to them, in the same direction, and shot angry glares at all three of them. Unconsciously, Gokudera and Yamamoto moved in closer to Tsuna, protectively. Yamamoto had his arm around Tsuna's shoulder, his fist flexing in and out of a fist. Gokudera was holding a stick of dynamite threateningly, unable to believe that he had ever looked up to that piece of shit.

As soon as they got to the boxing club, Ryohei broke the atmosphere. When all four of them walked in, he yelled,

"IS THIS AN EXTREME GROUP OF PEOPLE COMING TO EXTREMELY JOIN MY BOXING CLUB?!" He sounded so….happy. "IS THIS A GIFT FROM THE HEAVENS?!" Ieyoshi looked disgusted. Kyoko and Hana rushed over to Tsuna and Co.

"I'm so sorry Tsuna-kun, if my brother wants to make you join the boxing club! You don't have to!" Tsuna shook his head, waving it off.

_It's okay._ Hana caught Tsuna's eyes for a moment, before nodding decisively. She grabbed Kyoko's arm and towed her to the sidelines, saying loud enough for everyone to hear,

"Relax, Kyoko. Tsuna knows how to say no."

"But-!"

"He'll be fine. I'd be more worried about the monkey king over there." Hana was very smart; she had seen Tsuna's friends viciously attack Ieyoshi, saw the way Tsuna's friends had become more protective of him with Ieyoshi around, and saw the frozen smile on Yamamoto's face, his arm around Tsuna's shoulders, and his knuckles whitening. Ieyoshi had most likely done something terrible to Tsuna, and Yamamoto hated him for it. So Hana automatically hated Ieyoshi even more than she already did (which was a lot). Because if anyone could make Yamamoto Takeshi hate them, then they were the scum of the world.

"SO YOU GUYS PLAN ON EXTREMELY JOINING?" Ryohei chattered cheerfully. Ieyoshi crossed his arms.

"Tch. There's no way in hell I'm joining your pathetic club. You can screw off." Ryohei blinked.

"BUT YOU'RE AN EXTREME GUY, SAWADA! YOU AND TSUNA SHOULD EXTREMELY JOIN!"

"Why are you calling him by his first name?" Ieyoshi demanded, curious as to what had happened.

"THAT WAS EXTREMELY HOW HANA AND KYOKO TALKED ABOUT HIM AND YOU ARE BOTH SAWADA SO I CAN'T CALL YOU BOTH SAWADA." While his enthusiasm was…disturbing, Tsuna did find that the statement had a fair bit of logic to it. "NOW, EXTREMELY JOIN MY BOXING CLUB!" Ieyoshi sneered at him.

"No way, freak." Ryohei didn't seem to feel any of the sting in the comment, and he turned to Tsuna.

"JOIN MY CLUB!" he threw a punch. Yamamoto and Gokudera started to react, but Tsuna simply dodged it, and shook his head.

_No._

"JOIN MY CLUB!"

_No. _

"JOIN MY CLUB!"

_No._

"YOU HAVE EXTREME PERSISTENCE, TSUNA! THAT'S EXTREMELY COOL!" Everyone in the room sweatdropped. He sure was one to talk. Ryohei turned on Ieyoshi, and tried the same thing, but instead of dodging his every punch like Tsuna had, Ieyoshi stumbled, stepping on his own shoelaces, and Ryohei punched him in the face. Yamamoto stifled a laugh and Gokudera was damn close to cheering Ryohei on. Hana grinned, and Kyoko looked like she didn't know what to think. Ieyoshi pulled himself off the floor, dazed, and since he was up, Ryohei decided he was fine and threw another punch, which Ieyoshi managed to dodge. "JOIN MY CLUB!"

"NO, YOU SICK FREAK!" Ieyoshi shrieked back.

"JOIN MY CLUB!"

"GO SCREW YOURSELF!"

"Maybe you should have an actual fight." A cutesy voice suggested. Everyone turned to see Reborn, cosplaying again, but this time, in boxing gear and a weird hat.

"Elder Pao Pao!" Ryohei exclaimed. He glanced back at everyone. "This is Elder Pao Pao! He helped me with training and is an EXTREME boxer that hails from Thailand!" Everyone looked interested in the new figure that had appeared and Tsuna wanted to slap himself in the face. No one seemed to realize it was Reborn but him.

"As I was saying, you should fight Ieyoshi. Maybe he'll want to join the club then."

"No I don'-," Ieyoshi started to protest, but Reborn went in with a flying kick.

"He accepts." He answered for Ieyoshi.

"THAT'S EXTREMELY GOOD!" Ryohei yelled, and Tsuna saw him light up with Sun Dying Will flames. His jaw dropped. This guy….really was extreme. He was using his Dying Will at that very moment. Unbelievable.

Though, that was probably why Reborn was here. He wanted to recruit Ryohei into Ieyoshi's Family, as the Sun Guardian. Tsuna realized that he definitely shouldn't be there. He was probably interfering with another one of Ieyoshi's tests, and if this didn't go successful, Ieyoshi would have absolutely no family members. That was going to be a huge problem.

In moments, they had Ieyoshi in one corner, with Reborn whispering to him (Reborn had revealed his identity to Ieyoshi, who had been painfully stunned by the revelation. Tsuna couldn't help but wonder if everyone else was blind.), and Ryohei in the other, doing some weird chant where he threw arms up to the sky and the aura of Dying Will flames lit up his body.

_This is insane, someone is going to die, no, we're all going to die, there is going to be some terrible accident with the flame, the school will blow up and if we don't die in the explosion Hibari-san will kill us…._Yamamoto noticed the freaked out look in Tsuna's eyes. He tapped him on the forehead.

"Hey, Tuna Fish, you alright?" Tsuna stared at him with wide eyes, and blinked, like he didn't know what Yamamoto just said. "It's just a fight, and Ieyoshi will be fine. No one is going to die or anything."

_The flames. _

"You mean that flamey aura thing around Ryohei?" Yamamoto wondered.

_Yes._

"What about it?" How the hell did these people notice these things and not ask about it?

_It's real. They're real flames. Don't ask. I'll tell you later. But this can go so horribly wrong in so many horrible ways. And we're all going to die, like, repeatedly, damn it._

"Okay, now you're just panicking unnecessarily." That was true; Tsuna was freaking out because he didn't know what could happen. He wouldn't be worried if it was simply fighting on a physical level, skin to skin. But he was sure that Reborn was going to put Ieyoshi in Dying Will Mode, and Tsuna didn't know what could happen. It was highly worrying.

"Sawada Ieyoshi vs. Sasagawa Ryohei! Fight!" Reborn declared. As Ryohei went after Ieyoshi, Ieyoshi did his best not to squeak and dodge those dangerous fists.

"EXTREME LEFT HOOK! EXTREME RIGHT STRAIGHT!" The crazy kid could break walls with those fists.

"Damnit Reborn! Put me in Dying Will mode!" He hissed to "Elder Pao Pao" as he dodged yet another hit. Reborn considered this.

"No."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NO?!" Ieyoshi shrieked in terror, as he dodged another fist.

"I mean no. Would you like it another language? Nein." Ieyoshi took a fist to the gut and went flying against the arena. Reborn sighed. "Stupid Ieyoshi, can't you keep it together for any longer?"

"NO I CAN'T!" So Reborn shot him in the head. Ryohei didn't even notice the flame on Ieyoshi's head as he fought back.

"JOIN MY CLUB!"

"NO!"

"JOIN MY CLUB!"

"NO!"

"JOIN MY CLUB!"

"NO!" It went on like this for a while, and the fight ended when Ieyoshi punched Ryohei in the face, hard. Also, both of their Dying Will's went out and Ryohei grinned.

"THAT WAS SO EXTREME SAWADA! YOU SHOULD EXTREMELY JOIN THE BOXING CLUB!" Yamamoto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"He really has amazing perseverance."

"Couldn't he have punched the bastard any harder?" Gokudera sulked.

_You're all crazy…._ But Tsuna loved his friends anyways. Yamamoto clapped Tsuna on the back.

"See Tuna? Nothing went wrong." Tsuna let out a breath of relief. He just wasn't sure how the flames would react to each other. He had never seen to people in Dying Will mode fight before. And the fact that Ryohei was _always _in Dying Will mode was….scary. He slumped against Yamamoto, too relieved for words.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING LUNATIC!" Ieyoshi screamed, before stomping off. "Elder Pao Pao" stayed behind. Ryohei turned to Tsuna.

"FIGHT ME!" He declared. Tsuna shook his head.

_I'd rather not…._ He grabbed Tsuna and dragged him to the ring. Reborn sat back, amused, and watched as Ryohei started throwing punches, demanding that Tsuna join his club. Gokudera almost had a heart attack, but Yamamoto held him back. Yamamoto trusted Ryohei not to hurt Tsuna. Or at least not in the intentional way, the kind that really caused pain. Physical hurt was nothing; but a punch thrown with the intention of causing someone pain hurt far more.

Tsuna quietly dodged every one of the blows, and when one came surprisingly fast, Tsuna turned quickly, and took a glancing hit to the shoulder, moving with the momentum of the punch so he didn't absorb any force. His hand shot out, and using a defensive kata used for flipping an enemy, he had Ryohei on the ground in less than a second. Fon had taught him two katas; both defensive, since he figured Tsuna would need that. Tsuna wasn't a master of it, his form was sloppy, but because of Hibari's training and Fon's gentle instruction, he had a basic idea of what to do and could perform it. Ryohei was a boxer; not a martial artist, so he couldn't combat the flip.

Everyone drew in a sharp breath when they saw Ryohei on the mat, a confused look on his face. Then Yamamoto and Gokudera started clapping.

"THAT WAS AWESOME, ONII-SAN!" Gokudera yelled.

"NICE JOB, TUNA!" Tsuna blushed furiously, and helped Ryohei up. He heard Kyoko;

"Tsuna-kun is such a nice person." Hana snorted.

"Guess Tsuna really did kick the crap out of those seniors. I'm sure they had it coming, though." Ryohei blinked at Tsuna for a second, before exclaiming,

"THAT WAS EXTREME, TSUNA! YOU SHOULD JOIN MY CLUB!" Tsuna laughed silently, and shook his head tiredly.

_Not today. _Ryohei may not have understood exactly what Tsuna was trying to say, but he caught the drift. Reborn jumped onto Tsuna's hair.

"Good job, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn now looked like himself. Ryohei spun around.

"WHERE DID ELDER PAO PAO GO? I DIDN'T GET TO EXTREMELY SAY GOODBYE!"

"He said goodbye and that he would be back soon." Reborn explained shortly. Ryohei nodded.

"THAT'S EXTREMELY NICE OF YOU TO LET ME KNOW, LITTLE MAN."

XXXX

Tsuna had just finished another training session with Hibari, and he was exhausted. After hearing about Tsuna's win against Ryohei, Hibari had started pushing him twice as hard. Tsuna thought Hibari had been a slave driver before; this was worse. Tsuna felt like it was the first day again. He collapsed on the ground, silently groaning. Hibari leaned against the wall.

"That's enough for today. It would be troublesome if you died."

_Thanks._ Tsuna gave him a sarcastic glare. Hibari shrugged. After a few minutes of lying on the roof and cloud watching, Tsuna sat up. He folded his legs and tilted his head up, so he could still look up at the wide, blue sky. There was something comforting about it.

Right now, he didn't care that Hibari was there; he felt like doing something. His voice rang across the rooftop.

_"Blackbird singing in the dead of night,_

_ Take these broken wings, and learn to fly._

_ All your life,_

_ You were only waiting for this moment to arise."_

Hibari tilted his head, watching his baby carnivore with interest. (A.N. don't mean to interrupt any Hibari-Tsuna feels, but look at all the difference an adjective can make; _the baby carnivore _vs. _his baby carnivore._ Which one makes you feel more? :P)

_ "Blackbird singing in the dead of night._

_ Take these sunken eyes, and learn to see._

_ All your life,_

_ You were only waiting for this moment to be free." _

Tsuna stopped, and exhaled loudly, before flopping back down on the ground, stretching his arms out above him.

"You've come a long way since I first heard you sing that song." Hibari admitted. Tsuna tilted his head to look back at Hibari.

"I know." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. They stood in silence for a moment, before Hibari broke it.

"One day, I'm going to get you to finish the song." Tsuna let out a small laugh.

XXXX

"When can we get those freaks?" Ieyoshi demanded. He and Mukuro were meeting in an abandoned warehouse. So far, he had only seen the eyes of the man who had given him a path to revenge. The rest had been illusions of famous actors with creepy eyes.

"Soon." Mukuro promised. "The Ranking Prince is coming soon, and we only need him before we can go after the Vongola Decimo." Ieyoshi felt his mouth go a little dry with that. Mukuro didn't know who Ieyoshi was. But as long as Mukuro thought that Tsuna was Vongola Decimo, and not Ieyoshi, he was fine with it. And then, he would stab Mukuro in the back while he was focused on destroying Dame-Tsuna. Ieyoshi wasn't sure why Mukuro wanted Vongola Decimo, but he didn't care to find out. It was probably just to kill him anyways.

"Fine." Ieyoshi grumbled. "Will I ever see your real face?" Mukuro grinned.

"Soon enough. And you'll meet the gang."

"Are they a bunch of freaks?" Ieyoshi snarled. Mukuro clicked his tongue.

"Kufufufu, Ieyoshi-kun, you are an unpleasant person."

"I know. I don't need you to tell me."

"Don't be impatient; patience is the key. And then you will crush these nuisances before they ever knew what hit them."


	10. Chapter 10

Songs: it's time by Imagine Dragons

Enjoy!

XXXX

It had been about two weeks since training with Fon began, and now Reborn was coming to see Tsuna's progress. Reborn was furious with his own student, who seemed to be failing on purpose, and so far, hadn't managed to get any family members, despite his desperate attempts at manipulation. Reborn had come to the conclusion that Ieyoshi's manipulation only worked when Tsuna helped him with it. It was pathetic. His student had steered clear of his brother, but Reborn could feel the tension building again. So today, he thought he would satisfy himself by watching Tsuna's undoubtedly good progress.

When he came to the dojo, he was pleased to hear voices inside.

"That was very good, Tsunayoshi-san."

"Arigato." The quiet voice responded.

"Can you run through a few katas for me?"

"Offensive, defensive, or both?"

"Pick any five." It seemed that Tsuna had gotten more comfortable talking to Fon. Tsuna still didn't talk much, but when Ieyoshi and Nana weren't around, he talked a little more to everyone. It was okay with Reborn, he supposed. Tsuna was breaking out of his shell, but that didn't happen overnight. Fon left the dojo, to meet Reborn outside, smiling.

"How is training going so far?" Reborn asked.

"Very well. Tsunayoshi-san has a lot of talent." Fon said truthfully. Reborn snorted.

"It seems he has all the talent in the family."

"Is training with Ieyoshi-san not going well?" Fon inquired. Reborn sighed.

"It's going terrible. His own big head always gets in the way. But on the bright side, if Tsuna's training has progressed as well as I hope it has, I can get him the position of Vongola Decimo, instead of Ieyoshi. Not talking is fine; we have a few years to break him out of his shell, but as long as he has his resolve and power, then we can do this." Reborn's mind went back to the Hyper Dying Will flame flickering on Tsuna's forehead. He had noticed that it happened occasionally in Tsuna's sleep too, and had slowly come to the conclusion along with Shamal that Tsuna's once-sealed flames were trying to break through. But his body was too weak to handle them all at once. If they wanted him to be able to use his Dying Will flames freely, they needed to find some way to strengthen his body against the flames faster. They hadn't really figured out how yet.

"Well, I know I'll support him. And I think that Tsunayoshi-san knows that his brother can't be Vongola Decimo, for everyone's safety." Fon admitted. Reborn nodded, and then switched topics.

"Have you started sparring yet?" Fon nodded happily.

"But since not all of his opponents will be my size, he spars with Kyoya-san more for practice. I spar with him to teach." Fon explained. Reborn raised an eyebrow.

"So he's been told about your training?" Fon nodded

Flashback

"Hello Kyoya-san." Hibari's head shot up from his paperwork, his teeth gritting, a low growl in his throat. He had never liked Fon mainly because he could never beat Fon in a fight.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded. Fon hopped onto his desk.

"There's no need to be so hostile, Kyoya-san." Hibari glared at him, and Fon sighed. "Kyoya-san, Reborn, Ieyoshi-san's tutor asked me here to train Tsunayoshi-san." Hibari stood up abruptly, glaring at his uncle.

"You will not train my student." Fon shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Kyoya-san, but I've already started. I know you don't like it, but I'm here on mafia business. Tsunayoshi-san needs to be trained to survive. You can't teach him how to fight with Dying Will flames. You can't teach him how to fight against the mafia."

"He is MY student." Hibari growled. Hibari was competitive, and clearly liked training Tsuna. If his uncle, whom he already hated, started to train his student, then Fon had predicted he would be very mad and possessive about Tsuna. And he had been correct.

"I apologize, but I'll be training him." Hibari grabbed his tonfas and glared at his uncle.

"Meet me on the roof." He ordered, and stormed out to get Tsuna.

When they met on the roof, Tsuna looked confused about Hibari dragging him around angrily, and seeing Fon up there. He cocked his head to the side curiously.

"What is the meaning of this, baby carnivore?" Hibari demanded, gesturing a tonfa at Fon. Tsuna blinked.

"Reborn asked him to train me." He said quietly, since he wasn't sure how to Tsuna-speak it. Especially not with Hibari this mad.

"And you agreed?" Tsuna shrugged. "You didn't think to tell lme?"

"I told him I would take care of it." Fon added in. He paused. "It's not going as well as I hoped." Hibari glared, and jabbed a tonfa in Tsuna's general direction.

"You are my student, do you understand?" Confused, Tsuna nodded. Hibari glared at Fon. "He is not going to train you."

"Kyoya-san, I need to train him."

"No, you are not, or I will bite you to death." Tsuna touched Hibari's arm.

"You should be nicer to your family, Hibari-san." He said quietly. Both of them stared at him.

"I didn't tell him." Fon said quickly. He was sure Hibari hadn't either.

"How did you know that, baby carnivore?" Tsuna shrugged. Hibari looked back to Fon. "Stay away from my student." He ordered.

"I'm afraid I can't." It wasn't that Hibari was jealous (well, maybe a little, knowing that Fon could teach Tsuna more than he could), but he was competitive, and he hated the man, so he would fight tooth and nail to be Tsuna's only teacher. Hibari prepared his tonfas for a fight, eyes narrowing.

"Then I will bite you to death." He rushed at Fon, who jumped out of the way and landed on HIbari's shoulder. He quickly jumped off, and procedded to dodge all of Hibari's strikes. To Tsuna, the scene was just incredible, but he decided to put an end to it. He walked straight into their fight, ducking under a tonfa, and elbowing Hibari in the throat, hard. Hibari paused, stepping back and trying not to gag. He glared at Tsuna. "What are you doing, baby carnivore?" he demanded. Tsuna glared at Hibari, and slapped him. Hibari looked confused for a moment.

"You two- figure it out civily and come get me when you've made a decision." He ordered, turned on his heel, and walked away, leaving a highly amused Fon, and a surprised Hibari.

Flashback End.

"It could have gone worse." Fon concluded. "Kyoya-san is still not happy about the arrangement, but it's working out well." Reborn nodded.

"So, can I see his progress?" Fon nodded.

"I've invited Kyoya-san today, so it'll be a real spar." Fon promised. Reborn grinned.

"Excellent."

"Baby." A voice acknowledged. Hibari walked past Fon, ignoring him, even though Fon greeted him pleasantly. He walked into the dojo quietly, as not to alert Tsuna to his presence. Fon and Reborn followed him in, and watched Tsuna finish up his kata. Tsuna's form was better, and he was getting faster. "Are you ready to spar, baby carnivore?" Tsuna glanced over at Hibari, and nodded. Fon had told him that Reborn would be observing, so Tsuna suspected that Fon would have Hibari or someone come in.

Fon directed them towards the middle of the mat. Hibari had his tonfas out, and Tsuna fixed his stance. Fon bounced over to look up at them.

"While I'm sure both of you know your limits and when to stop, the fight will stop when one of you yields. No dirty attacks, but below the belt is fine, as long as you hit respectfully. (A.N. they can hit the legs and stuff, but no kicking in the crotch- I just don't think that Fon would ever say the word crotch.) They both nodded, and Fon stepped back. "Attack." They rushed at each other. Tsuna went furiously on the offensive first, working his way closer and closer towards Hibari, forcing himself into Hibari's personal space. This, in turn, forced Hibari to move in order to not get hit. Tsuna still had problems harming people, but he'd mainly worked past that with Hibari. He could strike without hesitation, but they didn't usually have a huge amount of force behind them (though, occasionally, Tsuna would strike out with great force, but he always felt a little guilty afterwards)

Tsuna's hand swung out at a dangerous speed, and Hibari managed to block it with a tonfa, but barely got his other tonfa up in time to block the knee heading for his gut. Hibari switched to offensive, and rushed forward, striking just as furiously. Tsuna managed to keep up a, albeit a little desperately, and between the two of them, they were constantly switching from offensive to defensive and back again. The first hit was from Hibari, naturally, who caught Tsuna in the ribs. However, Tsuna managed to back up and turn with the blow, and didn't take any damage. He ducked under Hibari's guard quickly, back facing Hibari, and hooked his foot around Hibari's, while forcing his elbow right under Hibari's ribs with both hands. Hibari grunted, and was forced to swing around so he wouldn't trip, and was met with a fierce punch from the front. He blocked it, but he could feel it vibrating along his tonfa. That would have hurt.

Hibari attacked again, dealing a blow to Tsuna's shoulder. Tsuna jumped back, gritting his teeth and forcing himself not to hold his shoulder, which hurt a little now. He needed both hands in play. The next time Hibari attacked, Tsuna stretched his arm out extra far. Hibari's tonfa hit his shoulder, but Tsuna hooked his arm under the end of the tonfa, forcing Hibari's arm up, blocking the other tonfa with his other hand, and striking Hibari extremely hard in the soft area where his arm and body met, just a little below the armpit. Hibari grunted again, louder this time, and Tsuna got out of the way before Hibari could smack him in the head with his tonfas.

As their fight continued, neither of them noticed Yamamoto, Gokudera, Bianchi, Lambo, and I-Pin, who had been invited to see the fight. They had entered quietly, and were now watching, impressed, but not saying anything, as not to break the fighters' concentration.

Tsuna and Yamamoto had originally had a huge fight about him quitting baseball for his Shigure Souen Ryuu. Tsuna didn't want Yamamoto to give things up for him; but then Yamamoto had said something and Tsuna could no longer try to keep Yamamoto from what he wanted.

"Tsuna, would you replace me after I died?" Yamamoto demanded. Tsuna shook his head furiously.

"You're irreplaceable." Tsuna whispered. Yamamoto laid a heavy hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"That's why I need to learn this, Tsuna. I can always go back to baseball. Hobbies can be picked up again. Objects can be replaced. But Tsuna, people aren't replaceable. You aren't replaceable. This is what I want Tsuna. What I'm giving up is no longer as important as I thought it was."

There was really no way to argue with that, and Tsuna now supported Yamamoto's sword career wholeheartedly.

The fight intensified, and soon, Hibari realized that he could actually be hurt. He grinned to himself. The baby carnivore had come a long way. But they both knew that Tsuna wasn't going to win this fight; he was good, but not as good as Hibari. Hibari quickened his pace, forcing Tsuna on the defensive, dodging, but still taking a lot of blows. He slid back, barely missing another strike from Hibari, panting hard.

It went on like this for awhile, until it was clear to everyone watching that it was only a matter of time before Tsuna yielded. Both Reborn and Fon were proud of Tsuna though; he had come along way, and if he had been fighting anybody besides Hibari, he would have certainly won the fight. But they both winced as they saw Tsuna take a flurry of hits. They knew Tsuna probably got worse than this in training with Hibari, but it still looked like it hurt.

Little did they know that Tsuna had one more trick. He knew he couldn't win with it, not with the way he was currently, but it would certainly be something fantastic to see. Because in the past week, Tsuna had gone to Ryohei and asked him to help him practice something. It combined a style of boxing with martial arts. Ryohei was just glad he got to fight someone, and was thrilled to help Tsuna practice it, even if Ryohei ended up flat on his back a lot. After Tsuna took another blow from Hibari, he knew that it was time to use it. He really couldn't take any more. So when Hibari struck out again, faster than lightning, Tsuna grabbed his arm, twisted, striking out with both his elbow and his foot at the same time. He rotated Hibari's wrist, and hooking his foot around Hibari's knee, angling his leg strangely so that his knee was against Hibari's shin, he flipped Hibari. Straight over his shoulder, and slamming him down into the mat with such force that even Hibari's eyes widened. The loud slam that sounded through the room caused everyone to jump. Unfortunately, the flip required Tsuna to go down with his opponent, so he angled himself so that he almost "stage-fell" and hit Hibari's ribs so hard he could swear he heard a crack.

"Wao." Hibari let out a breath. Tsuna couldn't help but feel a little happy with that statement. It was one of the few forms of respect Hibari had, and it wasn't one he gave easily or often.

When they both went down, Tsuna was panting heavily, and it wasn't much for Hibari to get back to his feet, and hold a tonfa close to Tsuna's head.

"Do you yield?" Tsuna was sitting down now, and nodded, breathing heavily. That flip had taken a lot of energy, probably more than he had at the time. It also required a lot of strength, luck, and momentum. But he was sure that if he had forced Hibari down a little harder, he could have hurt him a lot more. Now, Tsuna saw Hibari's hand go to his ribs, touching one gently. Hibari didn't wince, but Tsuna could tell he was a little surprised that Tsuna had managed to deal out some damage.

There was silence in the dojo, before everyone burst out into applause. Tsuna knew he hadn't come anywhere close to winning; Hibari had won by leaps and bounds. Tsuna hadn't even made him tired, and he knew how Hibari could keep fighting after his body was falling apart. But everyone knew that Tsuna had pushed himself extra hard today, and it showed in the fight. Fon and Reborn walked over to Tsuna, and touched either of his shoulders, smiling. Lambo yelled out,

"THAT WAS AWESOME TSUNA-NII!"

"GEGE IS AMAZING!"

"OF COURSE ONII-SAN IS AMAZING!"

"KNEW YOU HAD IT IN YOU, TUNA FISH!"

"GREAT JOB, TSU-CHAN!" His friends called out cheerfully, and Tsuna glanced back, smiling widely. He shot them a thumbs up. Reborn grinned at Tsuna and held up his camera, which he had used to film the entire thing.

"This will be one for the record books."

"Show it to Ryohei." Tsuna panted out quietly. "He's the one I practiced that flip on." Reborn nodded, and Fon felt a lot of pride that Tsuna had taken matters into his own hands, instead of only relying on the guidance of his two teachers. Hibari held out a hand to help Tsuna up, and Tsuna took it, climbing to his feet. Hibari put away his tonfas.

"Good job, baby carnivore. You did better than I expected." Tsuna just smiled at Hibari, and Hibari could swear he felt something warm in his chest, all his pride and secret friendship with his student. He hadn't known the importance of the words he said himself the other day; about Tsuna coming a long way.

"Thank you, Hibari-san." Tsuna said quietly, and in a moment of bravery and gratitude for all that Hibari had done for him, he reached forward, and gave him a small, quick, hug. Everyone suppressed laughter at the look on Hibari's face. For fear that he would relentlessly bite them to death. Tsuna walked over to the rest of his friends. Lambo and I-Pin jumped into his arms, chattering excitedly. Tsuna laughed a little.

XXXX

A few days later, while Tsuna was going to get ready for a training session, Reborn stepped in afterschool. He came up Tsuna's room, and stopped him from changing into sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. Tsuna blinked at him.

"We're switching today." Reborn explained. "Fon's going to work with your brother, and I'm going to work with you. Since you have the basics down, we're going to do this a little more often." Tsuna nodded, and shifted his position.

"So what are we doing today?" He asked softly. Reborn grinned.

He was taken to a training area, a clearing among the forest with plenty of room to move, and a small mountain in the distance. Tsuna could tell that Reborn had been trying to train Ieyoshi here from the way the ground was all marked up. Reborn directed him to stand at one end of the clearing, and handed him something. Tsuna looked at the object in his hands. It was a gun. A rather nice one, he could tell, even if he didn't know a lot about guns. He examined it, raising an eyebrow. He gave a questioning look to Reborn. Reborn jumped up on his shoulder.

"Even though you are learning how to defend yourself through hand-to-hand combat, if someone's pointing a gun at you from far away, your martial arts might not be able to help." Reborn explained. "And unlike Hibari, who has his tonfas and could probably keep going even if he was shot repeatedly, you are not like that. Even if you don't like it, you should learn how to shoot a gun." Tsuna was a little uncomfortable with guns. Just what they could do made him a little hesitant to learn how, if Reborn hadn't told him he was going to learn it. But he understood the logic behind it. Besides, he might not even have to use it, and if he was going to shoot anybody, they were mafia and probably deserved it. He sighed, but nodded. Reborn grinned.

The training was pretty quick, actually. There was only so much to learn about a gun, and it was relatively easy. Tsuna's aim wasn't that bad with a handgun, but when he got too far, it wasn't all that good either. In the span of two hours, Reborn covered handguns to rifles to shotguns. Tsuna had to reluctantly admit that he really liked the rifle. It offered more control and precision than shotguns, and more range than handguns. It was the gun that made him feel more in control of it.

After trying out a few different types of guns, Reborn grinned, shoved Tsuna a rifle, and went to set up a few targets. They were just aluminum cans lined up on a log, but Reborn had a feeling that Tsuna was best suited to the rifle. He stepped off to the side, and ordered,

"Shoot." Tsuna loaded the gun, turned off the safety, and cocked it. He sighted down like Reborn had just showed him, and took aim. His stance was a little wobbly though. He fired off a shot, and Reborn was comfortable with the fact that while the bullet didn't hit the can, it hid the log right next to the can, which fell over. It was a near miss. Tsuna sighed, and steadied his hands on the rifle before firing again. This time, it hit the can almost dead center, which fell off the log (A.N. firing guns actually isn't half as hard as it seems. It's hard not to have decent aim with a rifle- even with my first time shooting, I hit the target dead on). Tsuna shot down the next three cans, only missing one of them. "Fire again." Reborn said calmly, and Tsuna did, hitting it with his second shot. Following the safety rules Reborn had laid down for him, he turned on the safety, took out the clip and held the gun so that the barrel was up and aimed at nothing but the sky. "You like the rifle." Reborn stated. Tsuna gave him a sheepish smile.

"I like the rifle." He admitted. The shotgun was too much- they had decided that within Tsuna's first crack at it. The kick had left him with a sore shoulder and the sound was too much for him. The handgun- he could shoot it, but the whole point of this was to find a more ranged weapon in case Tsuna needed it. Still, Tsuna wasn't best suited to the handgun. There was something about it- it wasn't immediately obvious to either of them, it was just that it didn't seem to fit for him. But the rifle was perfectly in between.

Tsuna handed the rifle back to Reborn, who was already making some plans. Reborn gave a revolver to Tsuna, two clips, and a holster. Tsuna blinked at it.

"Hold onto it, just in case. Word about Vongola Decimo is getting out, and you'll also be targeted. Defense is necessary." Tsuna heard the seriousness in Reborn's voice, and nodded. He slid the gun into his bag, which he shifted over his shoulder. There was also another thing that Reborn wasn't talking about, that Tsuna knew he knew about.

Rokudo Mukuro had escaped from prison. He was a killer, a man, or teenager, that had slaughtered an entire Family in cold blood. He was not the kind of person to show mercy. Even though Tsuna was disgusted, he found himself sympathetic at the same time. Rokudo Mukuro had been one of the Estraneo Family's test subjects- a child that had been taken away from his life at a young age and forced to suffer through test after test, alteration after alteration, all his life. It was a form of torture. It was tragic.

But it didn't give Rokudo Mukuro the excuse to kill an innocent Family.

Now that Rokudo was out, the mafia was relatively sure that he would go after the heir of the most powerful mafia Famiglia in the world; Vongola Decimo. Things were going to pick up around here.

But Tsuna still felt sick at his own disgusting thought that if Rokudo killed Ieyoshi, Vongola would be better off.

XXXX

During lunch, Tsuna decided to sneak up to the roof where Hibari was usually at. Ever since that day when Hibari had eaten some of his lunch, Tsuna had noticed that he didn't really see Hibari eat. So today, he had an extra bento with him. Hibari could take this as an act of friendship, gratitude, but it was just being nice to Tsuna. He slipped up onto the roof quietly, and recognized Hibari's prone form across the roof.

He crept closer, to see Hibari with his hands folded behind his head, sleeping on the roof peacefully. Tsuna grinned. He had heard about Hibari's infamous wrath when he was woken up. So he bent down and set the lunch beside Hibari, quickly scribbling a little note and sticking it on the bento. He hurried off afterwards, careful not to wake him up.

Tsuna smiled to himself. Hibari was kind of…cute when he was sleeping. Not that he would ever say that out loud.

Now, it was time to get back to dodging Ryohei on campus. Ever since Ryohei had watched the video, he had followed Tsuna around, begging him to join his boxing club and begging him to replicate "THAT EXTREME TAKEDOWN!" Tsuna knew he meant well, but things got a little crazy, especially with Gokudera threatening him to stay away from Tsuna and calling him "turf top."

A half an hour later, Hibari woke up. He blinked up at the bright blue sky. It was a beautiful day out, partly why Hibari had decided to sleep on the roof. Clear sky, pleasant breeze. Hibari could have slept forever. He yawned, and sat up. When he put his hand down, it brushed something. Curious, he glanced over at it, and realized that it was a bento, with a note stuck to it and a pair of chopsticks. He picked up the note.

Thought you might be hungry. Thanks again

-Tsuna

Hibari yawned, but opened up the bento. Using the chopsticks, he took a bite.

"Hn." It tasted….good. He set it on his lap, and stared out at the clear blue sky as he ate.

XXXX

Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Tsuna were all in his room, working on math, when the doorbell rang. Habitually, Tsuna got up to see who it was, but Ieyoshi was downstairs, so he answered first. Yamamoto and Gokudera followed, to peer down the stairs and see who it was. When Ieyoshi opened the door, both Gokudera and Tsuna blinked at who it was. It was the Ranking Prince, Fuuta de la Stella. Fuuta had the ability to rank everything in the world. No one quite knew where his ability came from, but he wrote all the rankings down in a big book, and plenty of people had gone after him for it, to get the information that Fuuta had. Fuuta, a child of about nine or eight years old, smiled weakly at Ieyoshi.

"Hello, I'm Fuuta de la Stella, I really don't want to intrude, but I need a place to stay and I was hoping-,"

"Screw off." Ieyoshi said flatly. The broken look on Fuuta's face intensified.

"Please. I know you're going to be Vongola Decimo, and I really need somewhere to stay. Can you please help me?" Fuuta begged. Ieyoshi sighed.

"Kid, I don't care who you are, I already have enough people here already, so screw off and don't come back. It's not my fault you're a homeless loser." Fuuta looked hopeless and he reached for the door. Ieyoshi started to close it, and they heard Fuuta cry out,

"PLEASE DON'T TURN ME AWAY!" Tsuna was down the stairs in the blink of an eye, stopping the door with his foot. Ieyoshi blinked at Tsuna, who slammed the door open, hard, hitting his brother with it. Ieyoshi stumbled back, eyes wide. Fuuta drew in a breath upon seeing Tsuna, relieved that someone might actually help him. Fuuta looked at him with teary eyes. "C-can you please help me?" Tsuna opened the door a little wider.

"Come in. We'd love to have you stay here." He said softly. With another cry, Fuuta hugged Tsuna tightly. Ieyoshi, rubbing his face, scowling, reached for Tsuna.

"Last I checked you didn't make the decisions in this house. I'm not going to let some brat stay-,"

"Last I checked you didn't make the decisions in this house either." Tsuna said icily. His brother crossed the line at treating children like that. While Tsuna didn't agree with all of Haru's, "Children are angels with pure hearts!" talk, he agreed that they were innocent and should never be treated in the way Ieyoshi had treated Fuuta. It didn't matter if Fuuta was the Ranking Prince or not. He was a child that came to Vongola for help, and mafia or not, Tsuna wasn't going to turn him away. Ieyoshi glared at Tsuna. Fuuta detangled himself from Tsuna, who brushed past his twin and led Fuuta to the kitchen, with Yamamoto and Gokudera in pursuit. They fell into line with Fuuta and Tsuna. Fuuta was still hanging onto Tsuna's hand desperately.

"Hey Fuuta. I'm Yamamoto and this is Gokudera. That's Tsuna. His brother's kind of a jerk, isn't he?" Yamamoto said cheerfully. Fuuta trembled, not quite sure how to answer. Yamamoto laughed a little and ruffled Fuuta's hair. "Relax, kid. No one's going to listen to Ieyoshi and we're not going to shut you out. Tuna will keep you safe." Tsuna scowled at the use of his nickname. Fuuta looked up to Tsuna.

"But you don't know who I am-,"

"Onii-san doesn't care." Gokudera interrupted. "You're safe here." Gokudera promised. Fuuta let out another sigh of relief.

"Who do you have there?" Reborn asked when Tsuna came in with Fuuta. His eyes widened as he recognized Fuuta. Bianchi shifted her position curiously.

"What's Ranking Prince Fuuta doing here?"

"He was looking for Iey-kun." Tsuna said quietly. "He's going to stay here for a little."

"And Tsuna hit Ieyoshi with the door." Yamamoto chirped cheerfully. "It was awesome." Tsuna blushed a little. I-Pin hopped over to meet Fuuta.

"I-Pin glad to meet Fuuta." She said, taking his hand. Fuuta smiled at the Chinese girl.

"Who's that, Tail-head?!" Lambo yelled out loudly, not paying attention to anything.

"SHUT IT, BROCCOLI MONSTER."

"MAKE ME, TAIL-HEAD."

"GYOZA FIST!"

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"So why's he called Ranking Prince Fuuta?" Yamamoto asked, confused. Bianchi answered.

"Oh, that's because he can rank anything in the world. No one really knows how he does it though." Bianchi explained. Yamamoto looked at Fuuta, seemingly impressed.

"Can you rank something for us?" Fuuta nodded. He closed his eyes, and the next moment, objects around him were lifted off the ground. He himself even rose of the ground, and when he opened his eyes, they looked starry.

"Sawada Ieyoshi is ranked as…..817,560 out of 817,560 mafiosos most likely to take in a child who needs it." Everyone winced a little at that ranking. It really was a terrible ranking.

"Do Gokudera!" Yamamoto said cheerfully.

"Shut it, pervert-idiot, Onii-san should go before me-,"

"Gokudera Hayato….is ranked number one out of 817,560 mafiosos most likely to be good with kids." Gokudera blinked.

"Children?" He squawked. Yamamoto laughed.

"That's a good ranking! Do me!"

"Yamamoto Takeshi….is ranked as number one out of 817,560 mafiosos most likely to become a great swordsman." Yamamoto grinned.

"Why don't you do Tsuna?" The look in his best friend's eyes clearly said that he didn't want this, but Fuuta nodded. Before he could rank, Yamamoto leaned forward, and whispered the question he wanted Fuuta to rank. "It needs to be two separate rankings; the person Tsuna is most likely to fall in love with, and the person most likely to fall in love with Tsuna. Don't say it out loud. I wanna surprise him later on." Fuuta nodded, a small, mischevious smile making its way across his face. He took a moment to rank, and then lighted down, whispering the rankings to Yamamoto.

"The person most likely for Tsuna to fall in love with….Hibari Kyoya." Yamamoto pumped his fist into the air.

"I KNEW IT!"

"Knew what, baseball idiot?!" Gokudera demanded. Yamamoto shook his head.

"The person most likely to fall in love with Tsuna….Hibari Kyoya."

"I SO SHIP THEM!" Yamamoto shouted.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, BASEBALL IDIOT?!" Gokudera roared. Tsuna tugged on Yamamoto's arm and gave him a confused look.

What did you ask? Yamamoto grinned and shook his head, looping his arm around his best friend's shoulder.

"I can't tell you yet." Tsuna sighed, but gave a sad nod. Gokudera growled at Yamamoto, while Fuuta wrote down his rankings in a giant book he produced from nowhere.

XXXX

That night, when everyone was gone and Fuuta was crashed out on Tsuna's bed, with Tsuna on the futon, he pulled out his laptop. Since everyone was asleep and no one was going to bother him, this was a perfect time to check something out.

For a long time, Tsuna had been wanting to hack into the Varia database. It seemed a little dangerous, but he needed to know about Xanxus. He knew Xanxus was free, but didn't know what his plans were. So he opened up his laptop, and got cracking. It took about an hour and a half to find where he needed to break in, and to actually do it. It was tricky, nerve-wracking business. He had to cover his tracks, had to make sure he was untraceable, and that they never knew anyone had gotten in.

But the moment he got in, he got everything. It was automatically stored to the hard drive of his computer, downloading every bit of information on there. He could look at it later.

One of the kids moved in their sleep and his eyes were immediately drawn away from the computer. If he hadn't looked away, he could have fought back against the other hacker that was coming after his computer. But he didn't see it, didn't know, until there was the sound of maniacal laughter shrieking from his computer and the message flashing cross the screen;

DIE, HACKER SCUM. He jumped back, realizing that the webcam was on. He cursed internally, turned off the volume, and hacked it back and closed it all down before they could take control of his computer. He slammed his laptop shut and breathed heavily. When his eyes flicked away from the screen, he saw Fuuta staring at him with wide eyes. He held a finger to his lips and shook his head.

He never had any idea that somehow, the Varia would trace him. Not immediately, since he had covered his tracks very well, but they would trace it back to him. They would find him, and get rid of him, for the possible threat he posed to the squad.

But tonight, Tsuna didn't think about it, and went to bed.

XXXX

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Yamamoto had called a meeting with Reborn and Gokudera. He had a feeling that the kid was a huge fan of Hibari-Tsuna. They sat around the table, with Yamamoto grinning at Reborn.

"So, kid. How do you feel about helping me scheme Hibari and Tuna together?" Gokudera's eyes widened.

"Are you crazy?!" He hissed. "Onii-san would never end up with that bastard!" Yamamoto shrugged, and looked at Gokudera seriously.

"Come on. You can't tell me that you don't think they would be adorable together, and they are a perfect fit." Gokudera blushed and looked down.

"They would be a good couple." He admitted. "But we don't even know if they like each other!" Gokudera protested. Reborn stood on Yamamoto's shoulder. He was really beginning to like Yamamoto.

"Well, personally, I believe that they have some feelings for each other, not many yet, but that it will grow into a wonderful romance!" Reborn claimed, going a little starry eyed. Bianchi and Fon suddenly appeared in the door, Bianchi wearing goggles. Gokudera twisted around.

"What are you doing here?" Bianchi gave a sweet smile.

"I'm here for the power of love." Yamamoto pumped his fist into the air.

"More accomplices!" He exclaimed. Fon bounced onto the table while Bianchi took a seat.

"I know my nephew very well, and I believe that the two of them would be a lovely couple." Fon admitted.

"Well, I've thought they'd be adorable together for awhile, so I asked Fuuta who Tsuna was most likely to fall in love with, and who was most likely to fall in love with Tsuna." Yamamoto explained. His eyes brightened. "Guess who it was~" Bianchi sighed.

"The power of love always prevails!"

"But if I know my friends, they're stubborn as hell and bad with emotions." Yamamoto said. "So they'll need a little push."

"What you have in mind is not a "little push." Gokudera objected. Yamamoto and the King of Schemes, Reborn, exchanged an evil glance. Reborn patted Yamamoto's head.

"I'm beginning to like you very much, Yamamoto." He said, a little bit of maniacal laughter starting in his throat. Yamamoto's expression became almost insane.

"Why, thank you, Reborn. I think we can work out a plan very well, don't you?"

"Yes, and I think we can take lots of pictures."

"Yes, yes, I like the way you think." They shared a moment of creepy laughter, and everyone in the room sweatdropped.

What have we done by agreeing to this?!

"This will be very interesting." Yamamoto and Reborn broke their evil little exchange to look at the rest of the group.

"So, Gokudera, will you help us get them together?" Everyone waited with bated breath to hear the answer. Reborn and Yamamoto both knew that Hibari and Tsuna could be adorable together, Bianchi approved of the couple and would do anything to bring her Tsu-chan the love he deserved, Fon knew the relationship would be good and wonderful for both of them, so it was only Gokudera who wasn't completely on board (A.N. pun intended). Gokudera finally said,

"Fine, but only to make sure you don't do anything crazy to Onii-san." Yamamoto smiled.

"Great!" He slapped his hand on the table. "LET US SHIP THEM!" He roared. That was one battlecry Bianchi and Reborn could agree with. Gokudera facepalmed, and Fon just smiled.

XXXX

As Tsuna was walking home from school the next day, he saw Fuuta running down the street. Fuuta sprinted towards him, and skidded to a stop in front of him.

"Tsuna!" He cried out. "We need to run! They're coming after me!" Tsuna didn't even need to as who "they" were. He grabbed Fuuta's arm and sprinted back towards the school. He went straight to the boxing room, where he knew Ryohei, Hana, and Kyoko would be. When Ryohei saw him, he exclaimed,

"ARE YOU HERE TO EXTREMELY SPAR WITH ME, TSUNA? OR TO EXTREMELY JOIN THE BOXING CLUB?!" Tsuna didn't have time to try to translate his words back and forth; he needed to keep Tsuna safe.

"Fuuta needs your help." He blurted out quickly, and everyone went silent. Oh yeah. Tsuna remembered. They had never heard him talk before. Granted, he still didn't do it often, but most of his friends had heard him talk.

"Tsuna-kun-?" Kyoko started, and Tsuna waved a hand dismissively.

"Kyoko-chan, Hana, I'm sorry but you really have to go. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. Ryohei, can you please watch over Fuuta? Just for a second- some-," he thought up a lie quickly. "-yakuza came after him because Iey-kun got him involved and now they're looking for Fuuta. Just keep him here and make sure he's safe. I'm going to get Hibari-san for help." Tsuna wanted Kyoko and Hana gone, because Hana could probably figure out the mafia, and they could get hurt. He still didn't want to involve Ryohei, but he was dense and he could take care of himself. That "EXTREME left hook!" of his could take care of a mafioso no problem. They stared at him for a moment, before Ryohei slowly nodded.

"I will EXTREMELY take care of Fuuta!" Ryohei yelled. Tsuna bent down so he could be eye-to-eye with Fuuta.

"Ryohei isn't going to hurt you or anything, but don't tell him about mafia. He doesn't know. Just stay with him for now." Fuuta nodded, and hugged him tightly, tears running down his face.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get you into this mess." Tsuna nodded and stroked his hair for a moment, before Fuuta released him, and Ryohei put a hand on Fuuta's shoulder.

"You go, Tsuna, and EXTREMELY get rid of those guys." He said. Tsuna nodded.

"Arigato." He glanced back at Hana and Kyoko, who were staring at him, stunned.

"I guess we'll get going." Hana said first, looking surprised still. "Should we get off campus?"

"Go around the back." Tsuna said. Hana nodded, and grabbed Kyoko's arm.

"Come on, Kyoko. Hibari's not gonna let anything happen to his school." They left through the backdoor. Tsuna spun around, to warn Hibari, but found himself face to face with the man himself.

"Yakuza? At Namimori?" Hibari demanded.

Mafia. Tsuna mouthed. I'll…take care of them, I just needed to warn you. Besides, he couldn't exactly tell the girls that he, the wimp, Dame-Tsuna was going to go fight off yakuza. Ryohei had seen the fight video, so he knew Tsuna could handle himself.

"No. They might be strong opponents." Tsuna almost sighed. Hibari was always thinking about fighting. But he was glad Hibari was helping. Tsuna nodded, and they left the boxing room with Hibari. They got to the front of the school, where six men were lining up, guns in their hands, and dressed in suits. Cheap suits, but suits.

"Give us the child." One of them ordered. Tsuna shook his head, and Hibari's eyes narrowed.

"For disturbing the peace, I will bite you to death." One of them snorted, and Tsuna sweatdropped. Clearly, they hadn't heard of the demon prefect of Nami Chuu. One of them pointed a gun at Hibari.

"I'd like to see you try." Tsuna found his hands wandering to his bag, and the thought struck him. He'd grabbed his gun and put it in the bag this morning. Just on a whim, and with the feeling that he would go to jail if he got caught, but he'd done it. Thank God. He slipped his hand in, and tried to find it, but his fingers brushed over a cache of grenades. His eyes widened as he remembered confiscating them from Lambo this morning. He hadn't meant to put them in his bag. Or at least not this bag. When his fingers touched his textbooks, he finally realized that he had grabbed the wrong bag for school today. The textbooks were all wrong for today's schedule. But he'd been training with Hibari, and by pure luck, only ended up going to classes where he didn't need the wrong textbooks. Never had he been so glad for such a mix-up.

"Now, give us the child, Fuuta de la Stella." One of them demanded. They all pointed their guns at Tsuna and Hibari. Hibari gritted his teeth. He wanted to fight the herbivores, but it would be pointless if he died trying to get to them. With six of them having their guns pointed at him and his student, the chances of death or fatal injury was highly likely. Tsuna's foot brushed his, and Hibari glanced at him. Tsuna didn't look to him, but Hibari recognized the body language.

Trust me.

"I will." Hibari murmured. They all cocked their guns.

"Give him to us, or we'll kill you!" They ordered. Tsuna flung something out of his bag. Hibari watched the path of the pink "rocks" throughout the sky, and quickly realized they were grenades. Tsuna grabbed Hibari's hand and pulled him away, behind a large metal dumpster before they exploded.

The explosion was massive, a burst of fire and smoke. They heard yells, but no sounds of death. Hibari glanced at Tsuna behind the dumpster.

"Where did you get grenades?" He whispered.

"Lambo." They peeked out when the smoke cleared, to see four battered men still on their feet. Two had been knocked unconscious, but definitely not dead. They pointed their guns as the dumpster.

"GET THE HELL OUT HERE RIGHT NOW, OR WE'LL RIDDLE THIS SCHOOL AND EVERYONE IN IT WITH BULLETS." One of them roared. Hibari growled next to Tsuna.

"Destruction of property, death of students, disturbing the peace in Namimori…." He was ticking off a list. Tsuna sweatdropped. With all these broken rules, someone was going to die today at the hands of Hibari Kyoya. It was a miracle he had controlled himself and stayed behind the dumpster.

"Please don't!" A small voice called. Tsuna's eyes widened, and he jerked up. Hibari grabbed his arm, to keep him down, but Tsuna pulled away and ran out from behind the dumpster. Fuuta was standing in the area, clutching his ranking book to his chest, looking frightened. "If you promise to leave everyone at this school alone, I'll go with you!" Their guns lowered a little, but still pointed at Fuuta, letting Tsuna know that if he made a move, they would shoot Fuuta. They walked closer to Fuuta, one of them grabbing him by his hair and forcing his head up. Fuuta whimpered.

"You'll give us every ranking we want, even if you have to break omertá?" Fuuta nodded, eyes shut tightly. One of the men moved dangerously close to Tsuna, glaring at him, like he was ready to shoot him at any moment.

"I swear! Just leave them alone!" Fuuta begged. The mafioso seemed to consider it, but then jerked his head at Tsuna.

"As long as we get to kill him."

"NO!" But one of the men fired at Tsuna. Tsuna dodged out of the way, but Fuuta ripped himself away from one of the men and ran in front of Tsuna as fast as possible. Unfortunately, the three other men had already fired at Tsuna. Tsuna snatched Fuuta up and tore him out of the way, while hibari jumped out from behind and took down two of them in a moment.

"Tch." The leader said, and started firing at Tsuna. Fuuta kept shifting himself so that he was protecting Tsuna as best he could, and Tsuna kept jerking Fuuta out of the way, dodging the attack himself. Tsuna's hand slipped around the gun in his bag. He didn't want to use it. He shouldn't use it. Could he use it? "I'm gonna kill you!" The leader yelled, and dodging the attack this time meant a painful skid to the ground. Tsuna cursed silently, and Fuuta threw himself in front of Tsuna, just as the leader fired again. Tsuna reacted instinctually.

He grabbed Fuuta and pulled him down, jerking his own gun out. He had decided in a split second; not all hurt was the same. Causing people pain and hurt was what scared him, but there was the kind where you intentionally hurt someone. That was the kind he was afraid of dealing out, afraid of being cruel. But that was not the kind he did deal out. It wasn't so much the hurting people as the reasons for it. Tsuna was protecting someone, and in that moment, to him, any kind of attack was justifiable. So he took a deep breath and shot him in the kneecap. The man screamed in agony and fell to the ground, dropping his gun. Hibari had caught up with the other man, and he walked over to Tsuna and Fuuta, nudging the screaming man with his foot. The man moaned and shrieked in pain, clutching his knee. Tsuna winced, and Hibari raised an eyebrow at Tsuna.

"Nice shot, carnivore." Tsuna winced again.

I didn't mean to shoot him in the kneecap. He had really been aiming for somewhere by the thigh, but he didn't have quite as good aim with a handgun as he hoped. Hibari smirked.

"Where did you get the gun?"

Reborn. Fuuta stared at Tsuna for a moment, before hugging him tightly, crying.

"I'm so sorry….I didn't mean to get you involved…you could have been killed because of me…." Tsuna held onto him, a little awkward.

"I'M FINALLY HERE! I EXTREMELY PUNCHED DOWN THE DOOR!" Ryohei yelled, running into the area, punching a fist in the air. He looked around at the unconscious men, confused. He glanced at the screaming man on the ground. "WHAT EXTREMELY HAPPENED TO HIM?" Tsuna looked to Fuuta. Fuuta gave him a sheepish look.

"I locked him in." Tsuna looked up at Ryohei, and quietly lied,

"I stole one of their guns and shot him in the kneecaps when he tried to kill Fuuta." Ryohei paused for a moment.

"THAT'S EXTREMELY KIND OF YOU, TSUNA!" Ryohei exclaimed. Tsuna gave a smile filled with relief.

XXXX

As soon as Tsuna got home, everyone (with the exception of Ieyoshi) burst out into a loud,

"SURPRISE!" Apparently, Reborn had somehow spread the word, and Bianchi had wanted to throw him a party for shooting his first man. Hibari had sort of agreed to it, because he was a little bit proud of his student shooting a man in the kneecap, Yamamoto didn't care and just wanted to throw a party, in Gokudera's eyes, his Onii-san could do no wrong and deserved all the parties he could get, Lambo and I-Pin only registered "party", Reborn was excited about the same thing Bianchi was, and Fon had decided to attend for his student. It wasn't half bad- especially since Nana cooked, not knowing why, but doing it anyways, and Ieyoshi had sulked in his room.

Tsuna actually did have a lot of fun. Despite the violence, the explosions, the yelling, he had a lot of fun. Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta had gone to bed earlier than the party ended. When it did end, and Tsuna went upstairs to go to bed, he heard crying through the door. He paused by his room, listening to the voices of I-Pin and Lambo.

"Don't be sad, Fuuta. It not your fault."

"Besides, Tsuna-nii doesn't care." Lambo chipped in. Fuuta sniffled.

"It's just…I almost got him killed! This isn't the first time something like this has happened! Maybe I should just leave. You'd all be a whole lot sa-," Tsuna walked in. Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta looked up at him. He walked over and sat on the bed next to Fuuta, and gave him an even look.

"That's not true at all." He said sternly. "Iey-kun is going to be Vongola Decimo. Reborn and Bianchi are hitmen. My friends are crazy. If you weren't here, things would not be safer at all, so just get that thought of your head. Secondly, we all want you here. Considering how close to dying I've been before, this was nothing. You aren't going to get me killed, and I would like you to stay. Thirdly, if you want to leave, you can, but you always have a place here. I won't ever turn you away, and neither will anyone else here, with the exception of Iey-kun. Do you understand?" Tsuna had done far too much talking today; his throat was beginning to become sore. But Fuuta needed to hear this and it needed to come from Tsuna. Fuuta sniffled again.

"But this happens all the time!" He cried out. "Everyone wants something from me- they can never just leave me alone! I just wish I didn't have this stupid power- no one ever wants me around for me, just what I can do." Tsuna took Fuuta's hand.

"Fuuta, I will never, ever ask you for a ranking. And I will protect you if you want to stay." He promised. Fuuta looked up at him with big eyes, and Tsuna decided that there might be a better way to get everything he wanted to say through to him. Because Tsuna could be terrible with just words sometimes.

"So this is what you meant,

When you said that you were spent.

And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit

Right to the top

Don't hold back

Packing my bags and giving the academy a rain check."

"I don't ever wanna let you down,

I don't ever wanna leave this town,

'Cause after all

This city never sleeps at night."

"It's time to begin, isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit,

I'm just the same as I was,

Now don't you understand?

That I'm never changing who I am."

"So this is where you fell,

And I am left to sail

The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell

Right to the top

Don't look back

Turning the rags and giving the commodities a rain check,"

"I don't ever wanna let you down,

I don't ever wanna leave this town,

'Cause after all

This city never sleeps at night."

"It's time to begin, isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit,

I'm just the same as I was,

Now don't you understand?

That I'm never changing who I am."

"It's time to begin isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit,

I'm just the same as I was,

Now don't you understand?

That I'm never changing who I am."

"This road never looked so lonely,

This house doesn't burn down slowly,

To ashes, to ashes."

"It's time to begin, isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger, but then I"ll admit,

I'm just the same as I was,

Now don't you understand?

That I'm never changing who I am."

"It's time to begin, isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit,

I'm just the same as I was,

Now don't you understand?

That I'm never changing who I am."

Tsuna finished the song, gave a soft smile to Fuuta. Fuuta burst into tears and hugged him tightly, sobbing.

XXXX

"Tsuna," Reborn approached him cautiously during a training session one day. Tsuna, who was trying to improve his aim with a handgun (he still felt guilty about the whole kneecap business), turned on the safety and looked to Reborn, as if to say,

Yes?

"Your brother. Do you want him to become Vongola Decimo?" He asked quietly. Tsuna looked down. He didn't want his brother to become Vongola Decimo at all. It wouldn't be safe; not for anybody. But he was the only other candidate besides Xanxus, who wasn't an option. And he…he hadn't originally wanted it, but he was slowly warming up to how things were. It wasn't that he wanted the power; he wanted the ability to help. To help kids like Fuuta. To stop terrible things from happening if he could. Mafia wasn't all bad; Reborn, Fuuta, Bianchi, and Gokudera had proved that. Maybe he should ask about running as a candidate?

It wasn't like running for an office; it was going to be gory. But he did not want his brother to become the murderer he would if he was allowed this power.

No. Tsuna answered. Reborn examined him carefully.

"Do you believe he has any potential?" Tsuna winced, because unfortunately, he knew the answer to this question too.

No.

"Last question; would you make a better Vongola Decimo?"

Yes. Reborn gave him an even look.

"Tsuna, this position is yours by birthright. Your father had absolutely no power to overlook you the way he did. If you decide to become Vongola Decimo, your brother might not even be allowed to fight you for the position. Do you want to be Vongola Decimo?" Reborn asked carefully.

"Yes."


	11. Chapter 11

Songs: Shelter by the XX

Enjoy!

XXXX

"Baby carnivore, we are going to move onto another lesson." Hibari stated when they were on the roof. Tsuna nodded, and Hibari did that weird pacing-teacher thing he sometimes did, usually before he beat his lesson into Tsuna. "Since you're physically small, feminine, and unimpressive-," Tsuna scowled a little, but Hibari ignored him. It was true. "We're not going to try to change that. Your enemy will underestimate you and you can use that to your advantage. We want you as a wolf in sheep's skin, or rather, a carnivore in rabbit's skin." Tsuna scowled a little again. "This new lesson is to work on your strength and stamina." Hibari said. "It has already improved considerably, but even if we use your size to your advantage, if you are up against someone skilled enough, you will need more than that."

_So what do we do?_ Hibari smirked.

Tsuna soon found himself running twenty-three laps around the track. He wanted to groan, but Hibari had said that if he complained, he would attach weights to his arms and legs. Tsuna knew Hibari would act on his threat.

When he finished, Hibari was standing at the end, waiting to spar with him.

Tsuna was so tired he was nearly dead when he got home.

XXXX

"It isn't going well." Fon admitted. Reborn had finally brought him in for a full evaluation of Ieyoshi. And Reborn trusted Fon, so he really needed to hear what Fon said. The words that came out of Fon's mouth, however, were the last words he wanted to hear.

Yes, he definitely wanted Tsuna as Vongola Decimo, but if he couldn't get Ieyoshi to shape up, it would destroy Vongola from the inside out. Iemitsu would no longer be trusted, because he had favored a son over the other, and his judgement wasn't clear. The Mafiosi within Vongola would no longer trust Nono either. They would think he was getting weak and relied to heavily on Iemitsu. Which was true, but no one else needed to know that besides Nono, Iemitsu, his Guardians, and Reborn. Ieyoshi didn't need to be perfect. Just…better. The world could know how horrible Ieyoshi was when Tsuna was Decimo. Tsuna would put any doubt in Vongola's power to rest. But that day wasn't in the near future.

"Elaborate." Reborn said tightly.

"He has the mind of a child." Fon explained. "He is strong, physically, and relatively capable of learning when he chooses to be cooperative, but he is very insecure, immature, and impulsive. If it was not clear how stubborn and emotional he is, I would say he has some sort of cognitive impairment or learning disability. But unfortunately, he simply refuses to listen to anyone else. He reasons like he is still far younger than he is." Reborn noticed the emotions flashing in Fon's eyes. He could tell that Fon had been irritated with the way Ieyoshi never listened to anybody. Fon was an excellent teacher, but there was one thing he required of his student; effort. Not extreme effort, but just enough to show that they cared about what they were doing. He was happy even if they didn't succeed; trying alone was enough for him. If Ieyoshi had managed to irritate Fon, then the problem was worse than they thought.

"Did you manage to teach him anything, defense wise?" Reborn asked hopefully. Fon nodded.

"I taught him a few things, nothing major, just enough to defend himself against an attacker and run away. Unfortunately, while he was rather decent at the moves, he ignored them right after he completed them and hasn't put any practice into it." Reborn could practically hear the unspoken words. _Unlike Tsunayoshi-kun._ Fon had come to appreciate his student very much. After all, Tsuna had initiative, drive, resolve, determination, an innate kindness, disgust of cruelty, and an appreciation for everything his teacher was doing for him. It was very hard not to like a student like that. Effort with Tsuna was the least of their problems.

Reborn was once again, jealous that he didn't get to teach the one person he wanted to teach, more than anyone else. He could have turned Tsuna into a magnificent hitman, or the undefinable, unshakable, strongest leader of Vongola, Vongola Decimo. Hell, he could have turned Tsuna into a prince. There was just so much potential, so many options, so many endless possibilities. Hibari and Fon were lucky.

"Is there nothing else you can do?" Reborn asked Fon, switching back to Ieyoshi. Fon sighed.

"I've tried getting him to talk to me. Clearly, there is a reason his behavior is like this, and if he shared how he felt, perhaps we would find a way to help him, but he merely insulted me." Fon said, sounding exasperated. Reborn rubbed his forehead.

"Thanks anyways, Fon. Instead of every other day with Ieyoshi, we'll narrow it down to once a week. If I can put him through enough hell, maybe he'll start to prefer you over me and talk to you. Besides, I know you want Tsuna back." Fon gave a shy smile.

"Kyoya-san was not comfortable with not being informed about the tutoring change. He will be pleased it was changed back." Reborn snorted. Even if Hibari respected him to an extent, he didn't trust him, and hard as it was for Hibari to admit it, he trusted Fon. Naturally, he would be more comfortable about his student being with Fon, rather than Reborn.

XXXX

Over the weekend, Tsuna was home alone again.

And as usual, he didn't do much. He did his katas, hit a punching bag a few times, jogged for some time, but returned to be lazy and not get off the computer for a couple hours, while he snacked. Just regular behavior. So why was his intuition screaming at him when the doorbell rang?

He rose and went to the door, opening it.

"Ushiushiushi~ He looks too cute to be a hacker." Tsuna slammed the door in Belphegor's face, hard. He heard the yowl of pain as Belphegor was sent stumbling back outside, rubbing his nose. Tsuna deadbolted the door, grabbed his laptop, shoved it in his bag (which contained his gun), slipped on some shoes, and ran upstairs. He had a plan.

When he was up in his room, he locked the door and peered outside, to see that other members of the Varia were at this backdoor. Good thing he didn't run out there. He could hear the sounds of Belphegor and Mammon breaking into his front door, and the Varia flooding inside his house.

He quickly opened the window, forcing himself to keep his breath even. He could really die. They would really kill him. But he had absolutely no chance of survival if he didn't take a breath and concentrate. He climbed out onto the mini balcony.

"VOI! LET US IN, HACKER SCUM!" It sounded like Superbi Squalo.

"I'm not getting paid enough to be here." That was probably Mammon, formerly known as the Arcobaleno Viper.

"Ooooh~ how cute was he?!" Lussuria gushed.

"Who cares?! The boss wants him out of the picture, we'll get him out of the picture!" Levi A Than.

"Ushiushiushi~ a locked door can't keep us out, little rabbit." That was true; they were just playing with him. Tsuna swung outside the balcony, refusing to answer the creepy, laughing prince. He climbed down, and when he was close enough to the ground and hanging off the balcony, as low down as he could manage.

_Don'tpanicdon'tpanicdon'tpanicdon'tpanic…._Telling himself to keep calm was useless, seeing as that wasn't possible. His heart thumped painfully in his chest. He glanced down. Close enough. Bending his knees, he jumped, one hand on his bag. He managed to roll when he hit the ground, and due to Hibari and Fon's training, he managed to not injure himself. He quickly got to his feet, and started running. He could hear the voices from inside of his room, as they saw him through the window.

"VOI! HE'S GETTING AWAY!"

"Look how tiny he is!" Lussuria squealed. "So cute, and I can't even see his face yet!"

"Pull yourself together, Lussuria." Mammon snapped.

"The Prince thinks he isn't half as stupid as regular people." Belphegor admitted. "I wanna see his blood." Tsuna blocked their voices out as he ran further away. He made it to the street corner, pulling out his phone and darting across the street. It was a few rings before the phone picked up.

_"What's wrong, baby carnivore?"_ Hibari was smart enough to know that Tsuna wasn't good with calls and if he was calling, something was seriously wrong. Tsuna breathed out, and then blurted out a street corner he would be coming up on, hopefully, in about two minutes.

"Need a ride. And help." He admitted, still running. Twisting around, he couldn't see the Varia, but he knew they were coming after him.

_"I'll be there in one minute and 33 seconds." _Hibari said, before hanging up. Tsuna shoved his phone in his bag, and dug for his gun as he ran. He made it to the street corner a little too early, and was forced to wait around, bouncing impatiently and nervously, clutching his gun in his bag. As he was waiting, Hana, Kyoko, and Ryohei approached.

"TSUNA! IT'S EXTREMELY YOU!" Tsuna blinked at them, and offered a weak smile. Kyoko rushed over, smiling.

"How is Fuuta-kun?" She asked gently. Tsuna shot a thumbs up, and looked around nervously. Kyoko didn't really notice his unease, but Hana did. She frowned at Tsuna.

"What is it, Tsuna? Not those yakuza again. I would have thought for sure that Hibari took care of them." Tsuna shrugged and waved a hand dismissively, like that wasn't the problem.

"BUT YOU LOOK EXTREMELY NERVOUS." Tsuna shook his head.

_I'm fine, really._

"Are you sure, Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko wondered. Tsuna nodded.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the roaring white Hummer filled with the Varia came careening down the road at the same time, Hibari came up on a motorcycle from the other side.

_Oh…shit._

The Varia filed out of the Hummer, and Tsuna turned around and gently pushed Hana and Kyoko towards Ryohei, silently urging them away. Levi pointed a rifle at him.

"Kill him!"

"You coming, carnivore?" Hibari said from behind. Tsuna spun around, and without hesitation, climbed onto the back.

"Go go go!" He whispered urgently. "Anywhere but here!" Bullets pinged off the road.

"GET THE TRASH!"

"Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko shrieked horrified. Ryohei frowned.

"ARE YOU GUYS EXTREMELY THREATENING TSUNA?" Levi frowned, and Tsuna could see the altercation that was about to take place. They were moving in menacingly on them.

"Kill the civilians too!"

"EXTREMELY STAY BACK!" There was gunfire, and both Hana and Kyoko screamed. Tsuna grabbed Hibari's shoulder.

"Around the block. Now. As fast as you can." Hibari trusted him, and he turned the other way, and went backwards around the block. Tsuna could hear terrified screams and the Varia shouting, and Ryohei exclaiming,

"TSUNA WOULD NEVER EXTREMELY ABANDON US!" Hibari burned rubber getting around the block. Adrenaline racing through him, Tsuna wrapped his arms around Hibari's waist, suppressing a terrified shriek, holding him tight. He felt the rumble of laughter in Hibari's chest as he chuckled at Tsuna's behavior. When they were coming out close to the Hummer, Hibari got close enough to the curb as Tsuna turned sideways on the motorcycle, foot ready for an insanely powerful kick, and gun in his hand.

It was nerve wracking. Wind was rushing at him, forcing him to squint. He was shaking a little, his hand trembling, and he wasn't sure if he might actually shoot someone in the head and kill them. But Belphegor had his knives out, Ryohei was in front of Hana and Kyoko, trying to protect them, and the Varia looked ready to kill them. So Tsuna knew all he needed to. Tsuna shot the back of the Hummer to get their attention, and it seemed to be Levi's Hummer, because he spun around, gun in hand, shouting,

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

"VOIII! KILL THE TRASH!" Quickly, Hibari pulled the motorcycle up onto the curb, and as Levi and Squalo jumped back to avoid being hit, Tsuna nailed Levi in the weak spot by the knee so hard he heard a crack. His foot went numb on contact. Levi screamed in pain, and Tsuna lashed out, grabbing the front of his shirt, and pulling the keys away from him, which were hanging out of his pocket. He jumped off the motorcycle while it was still in motion, and in the commotion of Hibari attempting to run the Varia over, and everyone attacking at once, he floored Bel, who was in his way, darted past everyone and got into the Hummer, slamming the door shut and starting it up. He locked the doors, and revved the engine.

The Varia froze outside.

"He didn't…."

"I believe he did…."

"The nerve of that trash…."

"Ushiushiushi~…."

"DON'T LET HIM STEAL MY DAMN CAR!"

"VOIIII! GET HIM!"

"HE'S DRIVING AWAY!"

"THIS MAKES HIM EVEN CUTER!"

Tsuna didn't know how to drive a car, didn't know how Hibari knew how to drive a motorcycle, but hey? How hard could it be? He knew the basics.

So he put the car in reverse, puruposely pulling up on the curb in order to knock down a telephone pole which almost flattened Levi, and raced forward, rolling down the window enough to shout,

"COME GET ME!" He taunted, rolled it back up, and drove off, hyperventilating as they sprinted after him. Honestly. He was clutching the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white, and a few heartbeats away from a panic attack. On the bright side, he could see Hibari driving after him, smirking as he glanced up at Tsuna who was freaking out in the Hummer. The skylark was kind of enjoying this.

Tsuna was really wondering how he was going to explain this to Kyoko and Hana later.

Anyways, he managed to drive like a madman, ignoring the pain in his foot, and trying to stay under the speed limit (he was not succeeding), until a black car pulled in front of the Hummer. Tsuna slammed on the breaks, and he let out a loud breath. Hibari stopped beside him.

Tsuna watched with bated breath as the only man he did not want to see climbed out of the car.

Xanxus.

And he looked _mad._

He already had his guns in his hands, and he glared at the Hummer. The rest of the Varia managed to catch up, but were edging away from the entire seen, terrified of what their boss was going to do. Tsuna threw himself down before Xanxus shot the windshield out. The sound hurt his ears and glass rained down on him. He slid himself underneath the dash and steering wheel, waiting as the sound of gunfire continued. Then;

"I'll bite you to death." The noise of Hibari clashing with a member of the Varia, and Tsuna was roughly ripped from the Hummer. He grapped onto the steering wheel as the strong hands tried to pull him out. Panicked, he hit the gas, hard, as a last resort, and the Hummer lurched forward, swerving from side to side and careening into the black car in front of them. There was a _bump! _And the Hummer was up on the car, crushing it down like it was an ant next to the powerful vehicle.

"YOU FUCKING TRASH!" Xanxus roared, and pulled on Tsuna extra hard. Tsuna yelped and the steering wheel jerked with him. The entire car spun, with Tsuna still pressing on the gas hard. The Varia yelled and threw themselves out of the path of the incredibly large vehicle. Xanxus ground his feet into the ground and tried to pull on Tsuna even harder, screaming obscenities. Tsuna refused to let go, but was eventually pried out of the car.

The scene in front of him was slightly…hysterical. A flattened car, bloody Varia sprawled on the ground, out of fear from their boss and the out-of-control Hummer, Hibari leaning against a tree, with his motorcycle safely at the side, smirking, bloody tonfas in his hands (even though he himself had some injuries), and if Tsuna looked at Xanus, a very pissed off boss, holding him by the back of his collar like he was a small animal. Xanxus growled at him.

"I'M GOING TO FUCKING EVISCERATE YOU, TRASH!" Out of a small bit of fear, Tsuna responded. He twisted, lurching to bite Xanxus in the arm, hard. His legs locked around Xanxus's waist and leg, and in a very bad flip, they both managed to end up on the ground, Tsuna's bag going skidding. Still, somehow, in the crazy exchange, he got up onto Xanxus's chest, and shoved the barrel of his gun into the boss's mouth, cocking it, and giving him a dangerously even look, to let him know that he really would pull the trigger.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"HE'S GOT SOME NERVE!"

"I'M NOT PAID ENOUGH FOR THIS!"

"VOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

"USHIUSHIUSHI" To avoid being taken as a hostage, Hibari had already sprang to the side, and was now standing on top of the black Hummer, observing Tsuna as he sat on Xanxus, ready to blow the man's brains out if he absolutely had to.

And to Hibari, if the baby carnivore couldn't do it, he would take the gun and do it for him.

Xanxus's eyes had actually widened, surprised that the small boy had managed to get the best of him. Then again, it was an inconvenient situation for anybody, especially with the out of control Hummer, Levi's practically useless leg, and Tsuna's childlike clutch to the steering wheel. Add Hibari into the mix and it was a recipe for unpredictable disaster.

"I'm only going to say this once." Tsuna whispered, his voice trembling. "I have absolutely no plans to use the information I stole for anything else than my own personal curiosity. I won't hack you again, speaking about the mafia would get me killed by people worse than you, and if it makes you feel better, I already know what I want to know, so I can just erase the information from my hard drive permanently. Your hacker can do it himself. I haven't sold it or given it to anybody and I never planned to. I don't want to kill you and I have no desire to be involved with the Varia, so please. Just let me get rid of the information and leave me alone." He ended softly, his grip loose on his gun, but still dangerous and tensed enough to fire if he needed to. The Varia waited silently for a moment. In order to here Xanxus's answer, he drew the gun out of his mouth, but kept it pressed to his throat, aimed up, ready to fire.

Xanxus was silent for a moment, watching Tsuna carefully. He sighed, and closed his eyes, before opening them again.

"When I see that information gone from your fucking computer, I'll let you go, brat. But if I find information on the Varia that has been spread, I will end your miserable fucking life." He threatened, calm, but with vehemence. Tsuna nodded. Hibari hopped off the Hummer and handed the bag to Tsuna. There was a momentary trade-off with the gun, so Hibari was holding it to Xanxus's neck instead. The rest of the Varia had gotten up, knowing that this was a hostage situation and if they made any move to attack, their boss would be dead. Belphegor, their hacker, came forward. Tsuna hesitated before opening up his laptop.

"I want your word that the Varia will leave me alone. _All_ of the Varia."

"NO WAY IN HELL! HE'S INSULTED OUR PRIDE, BOSS!"

"BUT I WANNA SEE THE LITTLE BUNNY AGAIN!" Lussuria wailed.

"VOII! WE'RE BETTER OFF WITHOUT SEEING THAT TRASH!"

"Ushiushushi….it's a shame….we probably could have swapped hacking tips."

"If I'm not getting paid to kill the brat, then I'm just going back to HQ." Tsuna sweatdropped. _In Italy?_

"WE SHOULD KILL HIM, BOSS!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, LEVI!" Xanxus roared, but he was less threatening, since he couldn't throw the items he wanted at Levi. Levi looked down, ashamed. Xanxus met the timid boy's eyes. "The Varia will leave you alone, assuming we don't find that you already spread the information." Tsuna nodded. This was a very delicate situation; if Xanxus found out that Tsuna was Ieyoshi's brother, he would be ended right here and now, or as soon as he moved the gun.

Tsuna let Belphegor watch as he cleaned his computer of any information on the Varia, leaving it irretrievable. When Belphegor was satisfied with the cleanliness of Tsuna's hard drive, he nodded back at his boss.

"He would have to hack in again, and the Prince has already put up the appropriate firewalls to defend against him." Belphegor confirmed. Xanxus's eyes seemed to bore into Tsuna. Tsuna quickly climbed off of Xanxus, and took the gun from Hibari, laptop tucked underneath his arm. Hibari had his tonfas out, and was watching Xanxus suspiciously as he got off the ground. It was taking all of Tsuna's will not to hide behind Hibari, his fear and panic catching up with him. Even as he tried not to, from the way he was close to clutching Hibari's arm, it looked very much like he was trying to hide behind Hibari without moving, facing flushing, embarrassed.

"SO CUTE!" Lussuria gushed.

"SHUT IT, VOIII!" Tsuna's cheeks reddened.

"Sorry about the cars." He said in a small voice. "And please leave Hana, Kyoko-chan and Ryohei alone. They already think you're yakuza…" Xanxus blinked at the shy boy who had previously been daring enough to hijack a Hummer from an elite assassination squad and run over Xanxus's favorite car with it. Though, now that he knew that a Hummer would literally crush that car, he was thinking his favorite car would be changing to a Hummer. But the boy had transitioned from brave to timid in a moment. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the brat.

"What's your name, brat?"

"Tsunayoshi." He said weakly. He didn't want to reveal his last name. Xanxus scowled.

"Full fucking name, brat." Tsuna really wasn't good with this. Thankfully, for him, Hibari answered.

"Suzuki Tsunayoshi." Hibari clarified. He narrowed his eyes. "Now leave, herbivores, before I bite you to death for disturbing the peace of Namimori." _And trying to kill my student._

"I don't need you to order me around, fucking scum." Xanxus turned around with the rest of the Varia, actually flinging Levi over the car when he tried to stay behind and glare at Tsuna. "But brat, if you ever want a position in the Varia, you know how to contact us." Tsuna was simply shocked. He shouldn't have been though. Xanxus knew that the sort of courage and incentive the boy had taken today wasn't something to simply ignore. If it didn't break their agreement, he would recruit the boy right there. He wasn't too young. After all, Belphegor had joined at age eight.

"GOODBYE, TUNA-CHAN!" Lussuria yelled back, blowing him a kiss.

"Ushiushiushi…we will meet again."

"VOII! Keep it moving, TRASH!"

"I'm not paid enough to deal with you lunatics."

"SHUT UP, FUCKING SCUM!" Cue Levi-rock, that nearly hit Squalo.

Once the Varia had cleared out, Tsuna went to the side of the road and sat at the curb, wrapping his arms around his legs, hugging them to his chest, and hyperventilating. Hibari loomed over him, amused. Eventually, Tsuna flopped back against the grass that was past the sidewalk. He peered up at his teacher.

"Arigato, Hibari-san. For everything." He closed his eyes. The trees above him were sakura, and in full bloom. Hibari sat down beside him, looking up as a breeze brushed them down, the sakura leaves raining gently over the both of them. It was a few minutes of silence before Tsuna opened his mouth and his sweet, timid, song settled in Hibari's chest, vibrating with every chance of tone and lilt, making the corners of his mouth turn up in an almost smile.

_"I find shelter, in this way_

_ Under cover, hide away_

_ Can you hear? When I say?_

_ I have never_

_ Felt this way."_

_ "Maybe I had said, something that was wrong._

_ Can I make it better, with the lights turned on?_

_ Maybe I had said, something that was wrong._

_ Can I make it better, with the lights turned on?"_

_ "Could I be? Was I there?_

_ It felt so crystal, in the air._

_ I still want to drown, whenever you leave._

_ Please teach me gently_

_ How to breathe."_

_ "And I'll cross oceans, like never before._

_ So you can feel the way I feel it too._

_ And I'll mirror images back at you_

_ So you can see the way I feel it too."_

_ "Maybe I had said, something that was wrong._

_ Can I make it better, with the lights turned on?_

_ Maybe I had said, something that was wrong._

_ Can I make it better, with the lights turned on?"_

_ Maybe I had said, something that was wrong._

_ Can I make it better, with the lights turned on?"_

When the song was over, Hibari flicked his eyes to Tsuna, who was still lying in the grass, eyes closed. Tsuna's hair looked darker in the light, and instead of sticing up like it normally did, it was sprawled out underneath his head, messy, untamable locks. Green grass contrasted Tsuna's pale complexion, and he looked smaller and more breakable than ever.

This place, Hibari realized, wasn't a particularly bad one to take a nap. Sakura petals fluttered down, and Hibari was tempted to stretch out on the grass here and sleep. But soon, herbivores would be coming out to see the crash, and that would be far too much crowding and noise for him to sleep. So he bent over Tsuna and gently shook him.

"Baby carnivore, get up." Tsuna made a noise in his throat and rolled over.

"Too…tired…" Hibari heard him mutter into the grass.

"Carnivore, there will be crowding." Tsuna curled up some more, and Hibari sighed, exasperated. He could imagine the struggle Tsuna was having with his sleepiness. The breeze was warm, the grass was cool, and the air smelled sweet and of sakura. In addition, Tsuna was getting over his adrenaline and panic. It was a lovely place to take a nap, if it had not been on the side of the road. "Tsunayoshi." He said gently. Tsuna blinked, and as he slowly sat up, Hibari realized that he really did like the way Tsuna's name rolled off his tongue. And it seemed like a title less oppressive than "baby carnivore". It suited him better.

_Hibari-san? _

"I'm going to call you Tsunayoshi from now on." Hibari decided. Tsuna blinked again, and Hibari got to his feet. "Come on. You can't stay here." Tsuna sighed, and climbed to his feet, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Hibari got on his motorcycle, and fired it up, glancing back at Tsuna. Tsuna was just standing there for a moment, looking at Hibari curiously. "Get on." Hibari ordered, and Tsuna walked up to the motorcycle timidly, sliding on behind Hibari, and wrapping his arms around Hibari's waist fearfully. Hibari snorted. They weren't even moving yet and he was terrified.

"Shut up." Tsuna whispered, pressing his face into Hibari's back so Hibari wouldn't see him even if he twisted his head. Hibari raised an eyebrow.

"When did you become so bold, Tsunayoshi?" Hibari turned his head, and Tsuna lifted his face out of Hibari's shoulder, with a clear expression that said,

_When I had to._ Hibari smirked, satisfied, and the next moment, they were in motion.

They were heading to the street corner to check on the other three herbivores, but because of the accident, they had to circle around a few blocks inconveniently. So that meant they spent more time on the motorcycle. Hibari found it amusing; at first, Tsuna had been terrified, but slowly, his grip had loosened, until his arms were almost completely off Hibari, which just would have been unsafe. Hibari slowly realized that Tsuna was enjoying the ride. He snorted. _Adrenaline junkie._

When they pulled up to the curb, Ryohei, Hana, and Kyoko who had been sitting on the lawn of someone's yard ran over to see them. Tsuna climbed off the back of the motorcycle to go over to them. Ryohei pumped a fist in the air.

"THANK YOU, TSUNA, FOR EXTREMELY SAVING US! YOU ARE EXTREMELY COOL! ARE YOU EXTREMELY OKAY? DID THEY EXTREMELY HURT YOU?!" Hana winced at the volume.

"Shut it, monkey." She hissed. She turned her attention to Tsuna suspiciously, while Kyoko hugged Tsuna tight.

"Tsuna-kun! They didn't hurt you, did they?" She cried out, concerned. Tsuna shook his head.

_I'm fine._

"Who were they?" Hana demanded.

"Yakuza." Hibari supplied from the motorcycle. "Now stop crowding, herbivore, or at least make it fast, before I bite you to death." Hana raised her eyebrow at the leniency Hibari was allowing them, but didn't ask about it. She suspected that not even Hibari knew why he was in such a generous mood.

"Where did you learn to drive like that anyways?" Her eyes were once again drawn to Hibari, who she realized, was grinning wolfishly. Well, it was more of a bloodthirsty smirk, but it was far more expression than Hibari usually showed.

_I don't know how to drive._ Tsuna confessed silently.

"IS IT JUST ME, OR IS HIBARI EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE DESTRUCTION THAT TSUNA HAS CAUSED?" Tsuna flushed and shook his head.

_I'm sure that's not it, Ryohei._ Hana's eyes flicked back to Hibari.

"Well, you're probably traumatized, so we'll let you go-," Tsuna understood that as Hana's way of saying, _I won't hold you up. Go do what you need to do._ "-but be safe." Kyoko hugged Tsuna again.

"That was so dangerous, Tsuna-kun! Next time, you should call the police first when the yakuza are coming after you! You could have been injured!" Tsuna gave Kyoko a weak smile.

_I'll be more careful._ He waved goodbye and climbed back onto Hibari's motorcycle. Just as Hibari was about to leave, Hana came up to him, narrowing her eyes. She pointed a finger at him.

"Keep him out of trouble, Hibari." Hibari smirked.

"Unfortunately, that's not possible. He's a magnet for trouble."

"Then just protect him as best you can." Tsuna wanted to bang his head against something.

_I'm right here._ He wanted to say sullenly, arms crossed. _And I'm not made of glass._ Hibari rolled his eyes disdainfully.

"Not my job to protect someone who doesn't need it." Tsuna gave Hana a slightly bashful smile at her curious look, but before she could say it, Hibari rode off.

"Did you really have to leave so dramatically?" He whispered to Hibari, now that no one could hear him or see him talking. He was getting better at talking, but it was still a nerve-wracking experience most of the time. He still didn't talk a lot with Hibari, but Hibari was one of the people he talked to and around easiest with.

"Hn." Tsuna suppressed a giggle.

When they paused at a street light, Tsuna tapped him on the shoulder. He twisted his head.

"Hn?"

_Where are we going?_

"You'll see." The light changed, and Hibari turned back around.

They quickly arrived at a park on the outskirts of town. Tsuna had seen it before, but never actually gone there. It wasn't a park for kids; all trees and grass and as far as he could tell, no one actually went there, though he couldn't imagine why. He and Hibari slid off his motorcycle and locked it up nearby. He followed Hibari into the park. It was a beautiful place, with sakura petals fluttering down everywhere, branches dipping low, giving you the sensation of your own little world.

Tsuna followed Hibari deeper in, into a small sort of circle of sakura trees, on the other side of a small hill, so that they would have been out of view. Tsuna took a deep breath and felt himself relax as a small breeze ruffled his hair. Hibari sat down, and stretched out against the hill, the ground making a comfortable-looking curve. He flicked his eyes up to Tsuna.

"Well?" Tsuna exhaled, and gave him a small smile, before also stretching out against the hill, letting his head fall back. Within a few minutes, he was dead asleep.

XXXX

Hours later, when they made their way back to the house, Tsuna thanked Hibari and invited him in for dinner. Hibari seemed to considerate it for a moment, until the childish shrieks came from inside the house. Tsuna winced. Hibari snorted.

"No thanks. I won't stand to be around crowding herbivores." Tsuna sighed, but gave him a slightly hopeful look.

_Feel free to stop by some time, for tea or dinner or something._

"That is highly unlikely." Hibari stated. Tsuna's mouth quirked into a smile.

_That's not a no._

"Get home before that baby starts to worry." Hibari ordered. Tsuna shot him a snarky smile before running to the house.

When he came inside, immediately, Reborn hopped onto his shoulder, his face unreadable.

"Were you with Hibari all day?" Tsuna nodded, clueless. Reborn grinned.

"Good." He hopped off of his shoulder and disappeared mysteriously, leaving Tsuna to scratch his head and wonder about the encounter. What was so bad about being with Hibari all day?

XXXX

"Tsuna, I need to tell you something." Reborn said quietly to him that night, coming to his room. Tsuna blinked at his brother's tutor, and possibly his in the future.

_Yes?_ Reborn sighed.

"I can't make you Vongola Decimo just yet." Tsuna wasn't disappointed or mad, just curious.

_What's wrong?_

"Vongola is sort of in a teeter-totter position right now. I'm not allowed to talk about it, not yet, but rest assured, you _will be Vongola Decimo._" Reborn said, gritting his teeth. The awkward position meant he did have an opportunity to easily turn Tsuna into Vongola Decimo…just not now. Not with Mukuro, Xanxus, the Varia, the rumors of Simon and Vendicare….it was too much all at once. Nono and Iemitsu were hardly thinking about Ieyoshi and Vongola Decimo now. Reborn suspected that they would be sent after Rokudo Mukuro. And soon after, Xanxus would probably challenge Ieyoshi for the Vongola rings. Xanxus would win, no doubt, but then Tsuna could challenge Xanxus and win. It would be simple; and no one would resent Tsuna as a boss for stealing the position from his brother. It would look like he picked up Vongola from the ashes.

It would be a romanticized version of what really happened. Ieyoshi's downright horribleness would never be shown, he would just be the candidate that fought valiantly for Vongola, but was unfortunately defeated by his far more experienced senior. His older brother would have saved both him and Vongola and hesitantly accepted the position by right and people wouldn't approve of Xanxus for a boss for attacking a teenager. There would be no rebellion. There would simply be a happy ending.

And going after Rokudo Mukuro? Well, Reborn supposed that Ieyoshi needed to do it so he wouldn't be completely crushed by Xanxus. It needed to look like he fought hard. And then everything would work itself out.

Tsuna nodded at Reborn.

_That's okay. I'm fine with it._ Reborn nodded back at Tsuna.

"Don't tell anyone. I'll talk more with you later. And you have a lesson with Fon tomorrow, afterschool." Tsuna nodded.

However, as Reborn left, even with everything perfectly planned out, he couldn't help but feel like nothing was going to happen as it should.

XXXX


	12. Chapter 12

Songs: Numb by Marina and the Diamonds

XXXX

Hibari seemed really mad.

Most people didn't notice, but when Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera arrived at school, they noticed the immediate difference. Hibari was very, very angry. Surprisingly, it was only them and Ryohei who noticed. As soon as they were at school, the enthusiastic boxer came sprinting up to them, yelling,

"HIBARI SEEMS EXTREMELY ANGRY! DO YOU EXTREMELY KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT?" Tsuna shook his head, as did Yamamoto and Gokudera. Gokudera chewed his nicotine gum obsessively, scowling at the boxer, but holding back an angry retort. They were all a little concerned with what had made Hibari so mad.

"No, but we'll go find out." Yamamoto offered. Tsuna nodded, and Yamamoto slung an arm around Tsuna. "Right, Tuna? We should head up right now." Tsuna flushed at the nickname.

_Yeah. He's probably beating up some students._

"THAT'S EXTREMELY KIND OF YOU. I'LL SEE YOU ALL EXTREMELY LATER." Ryohei was about to run off, but he stopped for a moment. "REMEMBER, TSUNA, JOIN THE EXTREME BOXING CLUB!" He yelled before turning around and running off.

"ONII-SAN WOULD NEVER JOIN SUCH A RIDICULOUS CLUB, TURF TOP!" Gokudera shrieked back angrily, no longer able to contain himself. Yamamoto laughed.

"You're both so enthusiastic, Gokudera!"

"DON'T GET SO FRIENDLY WITH ME, SWORD FREAK!"

"Ma, ma. No reason to get so angry Gokudera."

"SHUT UP!" Tsuna did his best to calm them down, and Gokudera did, at the slightly panicked look on Tsuna's face. Tsuna wondered about himself sometimes; the amount of stress associated with angry friends and an assassination squad trying to kill you should be leaps and bounds apart, but he felt exactly the same for each. It should worry him a little….

"Let's go check on Hibari then." Yamamoto said. Tsuna was about to nod, when they heard a very loud scream of,

"PLEASE! NO, HIBARI-SAN! I DIDN'T MEAN TO CROWD! I'LL LEAVE AND BE QUIET AND NEVER CROWD AGAIN IN YOUR PRESENCE! AAAAAAAAAH!" They exchanged looks.

"Why don't we talk to Kusakabe first?" Yamamoto offered. Tsuna nodded, sweatdropping. The three of them made their way to the DC office, where Kusakabe was most likely to be. They slipped inside the unlocked office, knocking gently as they did. From what Tsuna could see, Kusakabe was standing in the middle of the room with a clipboard, writing something down. He turned around when he heard the knock, looking stressed.

"Oh. Sawada-san, Yamamoto-san, Gokudera-san, what brings you here?"

"Why the hell is that bastard terrorizing the school more than usual?" Gokudera spat out vulgarly. Tsuna touched his arm, and Gokudera's omnipresent irritation seemed to lessen a little. Kusakabe sighed.

"I apologize for Kyo-san's behavior, but there was an…incident with the Disciplinary Committee last night." Tsuna tilted his head curiously.

_What happened?_ Kusakabe rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know Kyo-san trusts you three to an extent, so please don't repeat this to anyone,"

"We won't." Yamamoto supplied helpfully. Kusakabe nodded, and glanced at the door. Tsuna understood first and went to close it. When he came back, they went to the two couches that mirrored each other and sat down, Kusakabe on the couch across from the three of them. He leaned forward a little, looking very tired.

"Someone attacked three of the Disciplinary Committee's members. I hate to say it, but they weren't even the good fighters. They were very low in status and power. But they were attacked so viciously, and even though all three of them were together at once, they were put in the hospital, in nearly critical condition." All three of them winced, eyes wide. No wonder Hibari was so angry. Kusakabe leaned back against the couch, sighing. "Kyo-san was also having a very good day yesterday too. It must have really ruined it for him."

"Do you know who did it?" Yamamoto asked curiously. Kusakabe shook his head.

"Someone strong, no doubt. Kyo-san wants to fight him." Tsuna gave Kusakabe a wary look.

_Make sure he's careful._ Kusakabe shook his head, a sad smile on his face.

"I'm afraid, Sawada-san, that I can't make Kyo-san do anything." Which was basically saying that Hibari was going to throw himself into this recklessly. Tsuna nodded.

XXXX

At first, the attacker hadn't been a big deal. Everyone knew that Hibari would catch him and beat him to a bloody pulp. But when two more members were attacked and Hibari still hadn't gotten the attacker, Tsuna went to Fon. He knew that this situation was going to worsen; as best as he could tell, this person was probably trying to draw Hibari out by hurting his underlings. There was no reason for him to stop.

And Tsuna knew that Hibari could take care of himself, but he was worried. This situation didn't sound…good. Especially since he heard discovered that Nono had sent orders for Ieyoshi to find Rokudo Mukuro from Reborn. Reborn hadn't told Ieyoshi yet, but Tsuna was beginning to fear that this could be the work of Rokudo Mukuro. To draw Hibari out in order to draw Vongola Decimo out…It was just too much of a coincidence.

So Tsuna decided to run some words through the system. Unfortunately, he needed to go into the school records to do so.

Lately, he had found some sort of resistance on the end of the school when he tried to hack in. Not too hard where he couldn't get in, but like they had another hacker enforcing the firewall. And the resistance had been getting stronger and stronger. When he tried to go through the the school now, in about six minutes, he found himself combatting another hacker.

They fought it out for a little, neither of them backing down, until the other hacker sent him a message.

_You must be the one that has been hacking into the school._

Tsuna typed back;

_Hello_.

_ Not funny. Stay out of the school. They've requested that I defend it technologically, and I'm not going to let you hack in._

Seemed like a nice guy, in Tsuna's opinion. So instead of being big-headed, maybe it wouldn't kill him to ask for help.

_ I'm sorry if you think I'm hacking in to change grades or something, but I just need the information on the DC members that were attacked. I'm going to run a check with a friend of mine to see if I can narrow down the menace and maybe give Hibari the idea of where he needs to strike to put an end to the problem. Can I have the info?_

Belphegor wasn't Tsuna's friend, per se, but he seemed like the kind of person who was perpetually bored with normal things and the name Rokudo Mukuro might interest Belphegor enough to help him check any connection between the words and profiles Tsuna wanted to use.

_Who are you?_

Tsuna typed back;

_I'm not going to tell you._

_ Ugh…you are giving me a stomachache. _

That….sounded like something Tsuna had heard. He couldn't quite think about it, but he could swear he heard those exact words somewhere at school. Just in passing….from a student…but…somewhere….

It clicked.

_Irie Shouichi._

He typed back.

_HOW DID YOU KNOW?!_

Tsuna smiled a little to himself. He himself had no idea how he remembered. Shouichi had only been at their school for about a week, Tsuna didn't have any classes with him, but he remembered hearing those words from Shouichi in the hallway, and thank God he did.

_Irie-kun, my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi._

He quickly got a message.

_The creepy silent kid?_

And then another one, a regretful one.

_I'm sorry. I shouldn't have typed that. _

_ It's okay._

Tsuna answered. He knew that he was often viewed as the "creepy silent kid".

_You're trying to help Hibari out?_

_ Yes._

_ I'll….let you have the profiles, but I'll have to send them to you myself, since I don't want you hacking in to the school. Can you please not hack the school anymore? _

Tsuna knew that if he ever wanted to, he could crush Shouichi. He was the more experienced hacker. But Shouichi asked him not to, so he wouldn't.

_Okay. I won't. Do you want my email address?_

_Yes, please._

_ blackbird27 _

_Thank you. Give me the names of the profiles you need._

Tsuna gave him the list.

_Are you sure you can help by using this?_

_ Maybe. I have a few connections. I can at least look into it. Why? Have you tried?_

_ Yeah. It didn't really work out. They were members of the DC, but not particularly hated so I can't single out a possible enemy or connect them specifically to a student._

_ Have you tried a background check on Hibari? They might be using the DC to get to him._

_ I did, but the guy's a ghost online. Can't find anything about him anywhere. There isn't even a record of birth or anything about him in Namimori. For such a big presence, you'd think there would be more on him._

_I know what you mean. Why don't I keep you updated on what I find? Two hackers are better than one; if you don't trust me in the school's system, you can always run things through it yourself. We could search for a perpetrator in the school._

_ Sounds good. I have to go. Tell me what you find._

Tsuna closed out, and went to his email. He examined the profiles himself, and started to run his own search, but went to Belphegor while his computer was processing. If it was really going to search as thoroughly as Tsuna had forced it to, it would be about a day before he got anything substantial. He sent a quick message to the Varia.

_Belphegor: Want to help me join the tech search for Rokudo Mukuro? If you want to help, comb through for a link between the words and profiles below. Not joining the Varia. Let me know if you want to help or find anything. Have fun._

There. Tsuna's plan was all set up. At training with Fon he had already asked for Fon to drive him harder and focus more on the actual attacking of an enemy. Fon had questioned his choice at first, but Tsuna had resolved to become a better fighter. There was no way Tsuna was going to get Hibari to give up his quest of finding this attacker; so Tsuna needed to be better. To help Hibari when he needed it and to give him more of a challenge in training. To help him prepare for a seriously dangerous fight.

XXXX

"He doesn't seem like much." Mukuro observed. He and Ieyoshi were meeting up in an abandoned warehouse. With Ieyoshi's help, he had been observing "Vongola Decimo" Sawada Tsunayoshi. Ieyoshi shook his head.

"He's not. Pathetic, flimsy excuse for a boss. There is a reason I'm siding with you, Rokudo." Mukuro nodded, looking at the pictures of the blushing, shy boy.

"He'll probably get to me all broken and pathetic." Mukuro complained. "Hardly of any use to me."

"But don't you need him for your plan?"

"Well yes. And I suppose we could still use him in near critical condition…." Mukuro said thoughtfully. He shook off his thoughts. "Later on, if you end up fighting him, just make sure you don't break him too badly. I need him in mainly one piece for my plan."

"Mainly?" Mukuro smirked.

"Well, he doesn't need _all_ of his limbs, now does he?" Ieyoshi laughed, a disgusting, throaty noise.

"I'll be sure to remember that."

"First, we need that ranking book from the Ranking Prince. This random attacking of the Disciplinary Committee is barbaric and I look upon it with disdain." He said, his smirk still in place. "Do you think you can bring me the boy, or at least, the book? I know he's in town." Ieyoshi nodded.

"I'll do my best."

XXXX

"BOO!" Yamamoto yelled, jumping out at Tsuna from behind a corner. Tsuna had just been leaving his class, rounding the corner, between Hana and Kyoko, who were chatting. Tsuna almost had a heart attack as Yamamoto popped out from nowhere. He jumped, and stumbled back, eyes wide. Hana glared at Yamamoto, who was laughing, and put a hand on Tsuna's shoulder.

"He jumped like two feet in the air!" Yamamoto waved a hand, and walked over to Tsuna, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"Well, he knows I didn't do it to be mean. Sorry for the scare, Tuna." He said cheerfully to Tsuna, who exhaled, still recovering from the shock. Tsuna nodded, and touched his shoulder.

_It's fine._ As they walked down the hall, Yamamoto started talking.

"Hey, I have to go soon, but I'm having a match with my dad afterschool today. I was wondering if you wanted to come." Tsuna brightened. He knew, just _knew_ that Yamamoto was a good swordsman, without actually seeing his skills. But he wanted to see them so badly. He nodded enthusiastically. Yamamoto grinned.

"Great!" Kyoko and Hana didn't know about Yamamoto's abilities as a swordsman though and Hana frowned deeply.

"_Having a match?_" She wanted to know. Tsuna realized that to her, it must have sounded like they were doing drugs or something. Yamamoto frowned, confused.

"Yeah. Kendo match." Hana's mouth became an O for a second (only a split second). "What were you thinking?" Hana waved her hand.

"Nothing."

"That's so cool, Yamamoto-kun! I didn't know you did Kendo!" Kyoko exclaimed. Yamamoto shrugged.

"Yeah, I just started it recently. My dad wanted to teach me for a long time though, but I wasn't really interested in it until now." Tsuna felt guilty about that still.

"What brought on the change?" Hana asked suspiciously. Yamamoto shrugged.

"I wasn't really interested in baseball anymore, and I always decided not to do Kendo because I was busy with baseball. So I just thought I would try it, since I had the time."

"Yes, why did you quit the baseball team, Yamamoto-kun?" Kyoko wondered. Yamamoto shrugged again.

"Eh…hitting a ball with a stick got too monotonous." He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. Hana sniffed.

"Looks like you've gotten some sense." Yamamoto laughed again.

"Thanks! So, Tsuna, if you see Gokudera or Hibari, invite them along for me, okay?" Tsuna nodded again, and Yamamoto ruffled his hair before rushing off. "See ya!" He called back. Tsuna waved.

XXXX

Their next class was a test, so it was relatively quiet.

It was just a little twitch at first.

He could mostly ignore it.

And then that weird gasping thing came along- like he kept trying to let it out but couldn't.

And then it intensified and he slowly realized that it was coming whether or not he tried to hold it in.

In the middle of their test, Tsuna threw his arm across his face and sneezed so loud and so powerfully that his feet lifted off the ground and slammed back down, his entire body jerking. The sneeze was so loud it almost sounded fake. The heads of everyone in the room turned to look at him. He rubbed his nose, face flushing, as he looked down. A student across the room said,

"Whoa. Was that Tsuna?" Tsuna flushed an even deeper red and sank down in his seat.

"Oh god, it was. That was one hell of a sneeze." Someone else remarked.

"Bless you." Another student added in. Tsuna covered his face with his hands, hiding it, embarrassed (if you listened closely, you could hear the fangirls in the background holding in nosebleeds at his adorableness). Tsuna peeked across the room to see Gokudera laughing, hysterically, and trying to hide it. He scowled. He had sneezed in front of Gokudera for the first time a few weeks ago, and he had simply been stunned that such a loud noise could come from such a small person. Apparently, the teacher was also surprised, because she gave Tsuna a slightly concerned look.

"Are you alright, Sawada-kun?" Tsuna nodded. She still frowned.

"That sounded way too loud to be healthy….go check with the nurse, just in case. We wouldn't want you getting sick." Tsuna shook his head. "I insist. Here, I'll write you a pass." Tsuna wasn't exactly sure how to say no to the concerned teacher, so he simply shrugged and nodded, making his way to the front of the room, where the teacher was tearing off a strip of paper for the pass. She handed it to him, and he took it quietly. Just as he was about to leave the room, they could see the shadow of three students behind the frosty glass that separated the classroom from the outside.

Another figure appeared, and everyone recognized the flash of tonfas with wide eyes.

"I'll bite you to death for cutting class and crowding."

"Hibari-san! Please don-ARGH.."

"We were just-AAAAAH!"

"SCREW THIS SHIT I'M RUNNI-YEEEEEEEE!" Everyone in the class sweatdropped.

"Sawda-kun, maybe you should wait a moment-," Tsuna shrugged and stepped out of the classroom. Unfortunately, Hibari had been about to come in, so when the door opened, he slammed straight into the prefect, stumbling back and falling.

"Oh no!" The whispers started, as they watched with horror as the cold eyes of the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, the infamous terror, Hibari Kyoya, stared down at their meek, cute, small, classmate, who sure as hell didn't deserve the beating he was about to receive. The teacher stood up quickly.

"Hibari-kun! Sawada-kun has a pass to leave-,"

"Please Hibari-san! He wasn't doing anything wrong."

"OI, YOU BETTER NOT HURT ONII-SAN YOU BASTARD!"

"Monkey...you're monkeys, all of you. Leave Tsuna alone."

"Hibari-kun, we apologize for the disturbance, but he can show you the pass-," The class abruptly fell silent as they watched Hibari extend his hand to help Tsuna up. You could hear their mouths close with an audible click. Tsuna quietly took the hand which helped him to his feet. He nodded at Hibari.

"Arigato." The class had to strain to hear the whisper, but they knew that the word had been spoken, from Tsuna, of all people.

"Did he just-,"

"But Tsuna doesn't-,"

"And Hibari didn't-,"

"What is going on here-?" They were all silenced with a glare as they watched Tsuna slip past. Hibari stalked up to the teacher's desk, to address the issue he came here for, while everyone stared at the door, wondering what the hell had just happened.

Tsuna smiled to himself once he closed the door to the classroom.

His smile was soon gone, though, when he entered the nurse's office to find Shamal sitting there, the new school nurse. Shamal spun around in his chair.

"And how can I help you to-," Shamal's mouth opened wide, before he gave Tsuna a heavy lidded look. "I guess it's you again, cutie. Why don't you-," Tsuna had never kicked anyone harder.

Back in the classroom, just as Hibari was getting the papers he needed from the teacher, they heard a loud shriek.

"AAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! GOMEN, SAWADA-SAN! I REALLY DIDN'T MEAN TO OFFEND YOU, YOU JUST LOOK SO MUCH LIKE A GIRL- AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! YAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGH! GOMEN, GOMEN, GOMEN!" Gokudera was on the floor in a second, laughing, hard.

"What is it, Gokudera-kun?" The teacher wondered. Gokudera wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Shamal is a creepy pervert and if he keeps this up, Onii-san is going to castrate him." The teacher blinked.

"Is the new school nurse doing anything he shouldn't to Sawada-ku-,"

"OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW REBORN PUT YOU UP TO THIS, DIDN'T HE _SON OF A BITCH THAT'S A MEAN KICK YOU HAVE THERE-AAAAAAH!_ I NEED THOSE TO HAVE CHILDREN AND IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU LOOK LIKE A _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! MERCY! MERCY_! HELL, WHO AM I KIDDING YOU LIVE WITH AND BEFRIEND DEVIL SPAWN, YOU HAVE NO MERCY!" Most of the class was pretty much rolling on the floor, never having realized that their shy classmate had such a temper. Even Hibari had frozen, though they were sure it was because he was contemplating how to best bite the school nurse to death for making so much noise. As he turned to leave the room, the teacher called out nervously,

"Hibari-san?" Hibari glanced back. "You're not going to beat the school nurse up, are you?" She asked carefully. Hibari gave a bloodthirsty smirk, and everyone was paralyzed with fear.

"Why should I? He can handle it himself." Without saying another word, he turned and left. The teacher sat down, stunned.

XXXX

_Clang._

_Clash._

_Scrash._

Tsuna watched his best friend engage in a deadly dance with hisfather, their swords clashing together, slicing through the air at incredible speeds. His mouth was open, and he watched Yamamoto, awed. He knew that he was a good fighter, but the fact that Yamamoto was wielding a _blade_…not only did he think that Yamamoto was so much better than him, but Tsuna would have probably died in a fight like this. Silver flashed through the air.

"Sword freak isn't that bad." Gokudera muttered next to Tsuna. Tsuna didn't pay much attention to him. Hibari had decided to attend the fight also, but he was leaning against the wall in the back.

Yamamoto panted, retreating from his father's blows. Tsuna could see that Tsuyoshi was far more skilled than Yamamoto, but Yamamoto was still amazing. The fight continued a little longer, with Yamamoto struggling to retain his ground, but eventually, his father got the upper hand.

"I yield." Yamamoto admitted tiredly. His father stepped back, smiling, and sheathed his sword.

"Excellent work today, Takeshi." Yamamoto grinned.

"Thanks Dad." He sheathed his own sword, and turned over to Tsuna, who clapped cheerfully for him. Gokudera joined in too. Yamamoto stepped over to Tsuna, slinging an arm around him.

"You liked it?" Tsuna nodded enthusiastically.

_You were amazing! _Yamamoto smiled.

"Not as good as you." Tsuna waved his hand dismissively.

_I'm not important. Are you going to keep with this?_

"Do you think I should?"

_If you want to. I think you would be an incredible swordsman. _Tsuna's eyes were practically shining excitedly. Yamamoto laughed.

"I'm really glad you approved. I was kind of afraid you wouldn't be happy with me doing Kendo." Gokudera cut in.

"Sword freak, he wasn't happy with you doing Kendo because he didn't think you were happy. Idiot." Gokudera sneered. Yamamoto blinked

"That clears up a lot. Do you guys want to head over to TakeSushi?"

"Only if Onii-san goes, sword freak."

_That would be nice, but I think I have to get home for dinner._ Tsuna confessed, looking guilty. Yamamoto never understood why his friend was so hard on himself. Even with his wayward comments- they were small, but Yamamoto could never repress the small pangs of sadness he felt when Tsuna clearly meant things. "I don't matter" or "I'm not important" or "It's my fault" when none of that was true. And every little thing- he was so hard on himself, afraid he would disappoint his friends. Yamamoto had to wonder if it was Ieyoshi that made him like that.

Anyways, he smiled at Tsuna.

"That's fine. Tell everyone I said hi." Yamamoto glanced over to Hibari. "In the mood for TakeSushi, Hiba-kun?" A tonfa came flying at Yamamoto's head the next moment. Yamamoto narrowly dodged it. Tsuna sweatdropped, and fussed over his friend, afraid he had been hurt.

"Really Tsuna, I'm fine-,"

_Did it hit you?!_

Gokudera just smirked, a little disappointed it had missed Yamamoto.

"You missed the Sword Freak."

"Hn." Yamamoto glanced up at "Hiba-kun."

"Hiba-kun, that's just not nice." The next tonfa nailed him in the forehead and knocked him flat on his back. Tsuna let out a little squeak of surprise, considering that the tonfa had also come very close to hitting him too. He bent over Yamamoto.

"Are you okay?!" He demanded to know quietly. Yamamoto rubbed his head and sat up, while Gokudera looked at him disdainfully.

"Tch. Sword freak couldn't even dodge that." Unfortunately, for him, Tsuna did not missed his little two faced moment of twisting back to glance at Hibari, silently congratulating him on his shot. Tsuna snatched the tonfa off the ground, stood up, wiping invisible dust off of himself, and smacked Gokudera in the back of the head with the tonfa lightly. But the tonfa was heavy and hard, so it still hurt a little.

_Don't congratulate him! Yamamoto could have been hurt!_ Gokudera gave him the look of a kicked puppy.

"I'm so sorry Onii-san! I'm not worthy of being your friend! I shall commit Sepuku-"

_That's a little drastic!_ Tsuna scrambled to pull the dynamite from Gokudera's hands. Yamamoto laughed from on the ground.

"You're so enthusiastic, Gokudera!"

"HOW CAN I EVER MAKE UP FOR THIS, ONII-SAN!"

_Really! I forgive you! It's okay!_

"I would like my tonfas back." Hibari stated.

"Thrown or handed?" Yamamoto asked jokingly. Hibari raised an eyebrow, and said in a completely dry voice,

"Surprise me."

"Then I should melt them and pour them in a glass and give them to you, haha!" Yamamoto joked again. Hibari had said to surprise them, and Yamamoto had been curious about how much damage the tonfas could take for a long time. He could never tell if Hibari constantly got new ones, or just repaired the old ones.

Except Hibari really _did not_ like insults to his beautiful tonfas.

"Sword herbivore…..for even daring to suggest such a thing….I will _bite you to death._" Hibari rushed at Yamamoto, producing a second pair of tonfas out of nowhere. Yamamoto blinked for a moment.

_Where did he keep the second pair?_ He wondered, but sprang to his feet to dodge Hibari, who was going to _kill him_. Tsuna whirled around, panicked. What would Hibari do to Yamamoto?! He sprinted after Yamamoto and Hibari, who had chased Yamamoto to the other side of the room, Gokudera trailing after him, yelling something that Tsuna really wasn't paying attention to. He was more preoccupied with keeping Hibari away from Yamamoto. As awful as it sounded, Hibari seemed to just lose control with Yamamoto.

Tsuna winced as he was running. God, it just sounded so _wrong._

Seeing that it really wasn't a good idea to get between Hibari and his prey at the moment, he resorted to childish measures. When Hibari drew his arm back, Tsuna latched onto it, and held on. Hibari jerked his arm forward, lifting Tsuna straight off the ground, but Tsuna was latched on tight. Hibari tried to shake him off, but Tsuna shook his head, eyes shut tight. It was so unsettling, to be lifted straight off the ground.

Yamamoto grinned to himself. This was a good day. Not only did Tsuna get in between him and almost certain death, but Tsuna looked absolutely adorable with his eyes shut tight, his button nose wrinkled, and a light flush across his cheeks. It was only at moments like this where you could see the light spray of freckles normally not visible. Tsuna's fluffy hair fell over his face. And Yamamoto was suppressing maniacal giggles seeing Hibari looking at Tsuna carefully, as if he was not quite sure how to deal with the cute middle schooler latched onto his arm.

But Gokudera seemed to see the confused expression on Hibari's face, and immediately burst out with,

"OI! DON'T TOUCH ONII-SAN, YOU PERVERTED FREAK!" He hollered at Hibari, who tried to shake Tsuna off his arm in order to attack Gokudera. Tsuna's eyes opened, wide, as he looked up at Hibari. Yamamoto could keep in most of his laughter, but let out one insane sounding giggle on accident. Hibari was further confused, since Tsuna with his wide, innocent brown eyes was maybe even cuter, and Hibari's brain didn't know what to do with that sort of information. Tsuna slipped off his arm, falling to the mat of the dojo, and looking up at Hibari with even wider eyes. Hibari just blew past him and attacked Gokudera. "I WILL PROTECT ONII-SAN!" Gokudera declared, and threw himself into the fight. Tsuna shot to his feet, but before he could intervene, Yamamoto grabbed him from behind and pulled him back.

_Yamamoto! Let me go! What if he hurts Gokudera?!_ Yamamoto shrugged.

"Than Gokudera gets experience and learns a valuable lesson about provoking Hibari. Besides, he can atone for his sin, and Gokudera would fight even if you tried to stop him. Protecting your virtue."

_WHAT? _Yamamoto snorted.

"Nothing. Besides, Hibari's gonna fight someone here, and Gokudera actually wants to fight him. Let them be." Tsuna exhaled loudly. He didn't want to admit it, but Yamamoto made a lot of sense. "Now, when Hibari finishes his fight, just make sure you have your shoes off and you're flashing those teeny tiny feet of yours. It's cute. He'll love it."

"WHAT?!" Tsuna squawked, not really sure what his best friend was saying. Yamamoto cackled, before waving his hand dismissively.

"Nothing. Just watch." Tsuna sat down on the mat, confused, but watched the fight. It was really more of a beat down. Yamamoto really wasn't sure how to say it, but Tsuna had just about the tiniest feet known to mankind and there was something adorable about it. Though, Yamamoto realized, those tiny feet were probably a contributing factor to Tsuna's clumsiness. But if Tsuna ever learned how to dance, he was sure he would be one hell of a dancer with feet like that (A.N. I'm not kidding here if you watch the anime or read the manga, Tsuna's feet are smaller than his hands. It's weird! But really, really cute. And probably why he's so clumsy)

After ten minutes of explosions and Gokudera desperately hanging in there, Hibari dropped a bloody, beaten Gokudera on the floor, and spun around to growl at Yamamoto and Tsuna. Unfortunately, for Tsuna, in those ten minutes, Yamamoto was trying to make him take his shoes off, for whatever reason that Tsuna didn't understand (he was far too innocent to comprehend). They ended up wrestling on the dojo floor, with Yamamoto practically holding him down, and struggling to hold onto Tsuna's feet, yelling,

"TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES!"

So this is what Hibari and Gokudera saw, and coincidentally, Tsuyoshi, who immediately regretted walking back into the room;

Both on the mat, Yamamoto climbing over Tsuna's leg and trying to hold onto Tsuna's feet, straddling him backwards, while Tsuna attempted to choke him from behind, arms around his neck, struggling to get Yamamoto off his feet. He jerked his legs, and Yamamoto clutched them, yelling,

"TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES!"

"No!" Tsuna grabbed Yamamoto in an arm lock and managed to flip the bigger boy, but since Yamamoto had such a tight grip on his feet, Tsuna was dragged backwards too. They ended up with Tsuna toppling onto Yamamoto, Yamamoto's head jabbing into Tsuna's chest, curled in a weird way where he still had possession of Tsuna's feet. Tsuna had his arms locked on Yamamoto's arms and neck, and they were both kind of choking each other. "They're my feet!" Tsuna tried to shout. But he still wasn't good at shouting and his throat closed up halfway through, so he sounded rough and pathetic and hardly above the volume of his normally quiet voice.

"What are you two doing?" Tsuyoshi wanted to know. Yamamoto's head popped up from the tangle of limbs, grinning.

"I GOT THE SHOES!" He yelled, just as he slipped them off Tsuna's feet. He jerked away from Tsuna, sprang to his feet, and danced in a circle before Tsuna tripped him, scowling. As Yamamoto fell, the shoes slammed into his throat and he gasped. Yamamoto rolled onto his back, choking. "For someone who is so concerned about my well being most of the time, you can be pretty abusive." He gasped out. Tsuna scowled deeper, but it was clear he wasn't getting his shoes back anytime soon. He sat up, and Yamamoto laughed. "YOUR FEET ARE SO TINY!" Tsuna flushed and covered his feet with his hands. Which was sad, because only one of his hands almost completely covered one of his feet and his hands were pretty small. So it only proved Yamamoto right.

"You two are idiots." Tsuyoshi commented, but he was grinning.

"OI! SWORD FREAK! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF ONII-SAN, BEFORE I BLOW YOU UP!" Hibari loomed over them, glaring at them. Yamamoto sat up.

"You need something, Hiba-kun?" Yamamoto asked innocently. Hibari raised his tonfa to attack, but in a moment, Yamamoto picked Tsuna up, and held him in front of him, using the boy as a human shield. Tsuna squeaked as the tonfa came swinging at his head. Thankfully, it stopped inches before it hit him. Hibari glared at Yamamoto. "I'm not beneath using him as a human shield." Yamamoto said clearly. "I'll do it again if I have to." Tsuna twisted so he could glower at Yamamoto, who shrugged.

"HANDS OFF ONII-SAN!" Gokudera yelled, dynamite already in his hand.

"Kick with those tiny feet!" Yamamoto encouraged. Oh god. Tsuna was never going to live this down.

XXXX

"Please arrive at the Sawada household around 5:30 tonight, with a gift prepared for Reborn." Fon explained. Gokudera blinked.

"Why?" Fon smiled.

"We're throwing Reborn a birthday party. Well, Tsuna is the one mostly arranging it and he thought to invite all of you."

"But what does the kid like?" Yamamoto wondered.

"Hn." Hibari said, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Fon shrugged, but gave the group of three a light expression.

"You can get him anything, really." Yamamoto scratched the back of his neck, already thinking about what he was going to get the kid. The four of them were on a rooftop. Tsuna was sitting with Kyoko and Hana, but he had sent the three of them up to the rooftop to talk with Fon. Suddenly, he realized something else.

"Hey, does Tsuna need any help setting up?" Fon paused.

"I think it would be nice if you guys went over about half an hour in advance to help." Fon admitted. "But don't let Tsunayoshi-kun know that you went over early for that reason. He doesn't want anyone to go to any more trouble than he has to. That's why he's throwing the party himself." Yamamoto laughed.

"Sounds like Tsuna. We won't let him burn the candle at both ends." He assured Fon, shooting him a thumbs up. Fon smiled.

"Of course we'll go over and help Onii-san!" Gokudera yelled.

"Hn." Fon smiled wider. He hopped up onto Yamamoto's shoulder, and surveyed the scene.

"You are very good friends." He informed them. Yamamoto grinned, Gokudera smiled, and even Hibari's eyes brightened a little.

XXXX

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBORN!" They all shouted. Reborn had to admit, Tsuna had done a great job with the party. He had managed to get everyone there- Bianchi, Dino, Hibari, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Fon, Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta, Nana, and Tsuna had even handed him a Happy Birthday card sent from Nono. Reborn wasn't sure how Tsuna got his hands on it, but he was pretty impressed. The room was dressed up perfectly- not too much, not too little, and plenty of food that Reborn liked. Most of it was Italian, which was good, because Reborn had been missing all the Italian food. And there was coffee. Lots of it. He was sure Tsuna had made all the food himself, and it was pretty damn delicious.

"Why, thank you. Why don't we start the Vongola birthday contest?" Reborn said, with a mischevious glint in his eye. Everyone looked at each other.

"Huh?" Gokudera wondered.

"Each of you will compete for points with a talent before we eat cake and open presents. It's a time filler. It started way back when, during parties when mafia families had nothing to do or talk about and were only there because they had to be." Reborn explained. Everyone's heads snapped to look at Tsuna. Tsuna flushed.

"It wouldn't be much of a contest." Yamamoto said, laughing. Dino frowned.

"What do you mean?" Yamamoto shook his head, grinning impishly at Dino.

"Excluding Tsuna, then." Reborn said. "We'll all get to listen to him at the end, since he would blow you all out of the water." Tsuna winced, even redder than before. Bianchi squealed and hugged him.

"I'll go first then!"

Bianchi's act was apparently showing them how to slice and dice a chicken until it was ready to be cooked. But with four knives in eight seconds. It was actually a very cool act. If you could ignore the fact that the chicken was still alive when she started. It lost points for flying feathers everywhere, but Tsuna cringed a little at the gore.

Next up was Gokudera's act, which was turning dynamite into sparklers. It was pretty and cool, and thankfully not gory, but Reborn took points off since nothing blew up.

I-Pin's act was naturally, Gyoza Fist, with Lambo as her assistant.

Fon showed off this weird wind martial arts thing with flames, which Tsuna found himself completely captivated by. Using wind or something somehow, he was literally toying with flames on his fingertips. It wasn't violent enough for Reborn, apparently.

Dino tried to use his whip, but his subordinates weren't around, so he tripped himself and hit himself in the face with it, so Reborn gave him points for being the most pitiful talent. Tsuna felt really bad about that.

Fuuta ranked Reborn. Reborn was very satisfied that the Ranking Star still considered him the number one hitman.

Hibari originally refused to go, but then Yamamoto called him Hiba-kun and Hibari got an award from Reborn for being the one able to create the largest bruises.

Yamamoto's act was insanely cool; he threw an apple up into the air, his eyes going serious as he whipped out his sword and cut it in a flash of metal and light. It didn't look like anything happened at first, but then he caught it, and suddenly, it fell apart into almost even strips of apple (A.N. yeah, I know this is a bit overdone, but hey, it's KHR.)

Finally, it was Lambo's act (they didn't want to make Nana do anything and she had already left the room to stop Ieyoshi from throwing a tantrum about something). Unfortunately, the cow child was hell bent on winning the contest, and with no other way to top Yamamoto or Fon and determined to beat I-Pin, he pulled out the Ten Year Bazooka. Tsuna lurched out of his seat to stop Lambo, but found himself blocked by Reborn.

_But Reborn!_ Reborn shook his head.

"Come on. It's not like he's going to do any damage. Just wait and see." After a loud BANG and a puff of pink smoke, a tall figure was clear through the smoke. He was just yelling,

"HAPPY BIRTH-wait, oh shit, this isn't the mansion…" Adult Lambo whirled around to see the party blinking at him.

"What the hell was that?" Hibari asked irritably. "Where did the cow go?"

"This is called the Ten Year Bazooka." Reborn started to explain. "It takes whoever gets shot with it and swaps them out with their ten years older self. Lambo just shot himself with it, hence future Lambo." Lambo, who was dressed a little nicer than before, in a black suit, white shirt, and a black tie, grinned at the group.

"As angry as ever, I see, Hibari." Lambo took in the room. "Weird. I was just celebrating the same birthday in the future."

"So you're Lambo from the future?" Yamamoto wondered. Lambo nodded, grinning.

"Ah, the ever youthful Takeshi. You haven't changed much." Yamamoto's face lit up.

"I'm there in the future?" Lambo snorted.

"Course you are. Actually, you were just talking with Tsuna-nii in the corner. I think you two were laughing at Belphegor asking Chrome to dance and her turning him down- er, never mind. I don't think you've met them yet."

"Wait, were we all there?" Dino wondered. Lambo nodded, giving him a lazy smile.

"Even you, but I think Reborn was trying to shoot you. Thank God you brought your subordinates with you."

"Well, I hate to interrupt, but this isn't much of a talent and you were brought here for a reason." Lambo blinked, hard.

"Oh yeah." He said slowly, before shrugging. He stepped back from everybody, and took off his suit jacket, tossing it over a chair near him. He rolled his shoulders. "You might want to step back." Everyone moved back a little, but not much. Lambo widened his stance a little, closed his eyes, and the room began to feel heavy with electricity. The lights swayed and flickered, and the air around Lambo smelled a little like ozone, and occasionally, there was a spark. Electricity began to crackle around his hand, red and alive. Everyone watched, fascinated. Lambo whispered, "Electrico Cornata."

His body burst with red electricity that almost completely surrounded him. It crackled and spread and the wind it created blew Tsuna's hair back from his face. It was so bright that Tsuna had to shield his eyes from it for a second. When the light faded, Lambo stood there, hand on his hip, grinning. He was still crackling a little, but looked completely unharmed.

"Pretty cool, huh? That was a low voltage version, though. I didn't want anyone to get hurt." The room burst into applause. Reborn tilted his hat over his eyes.

"Very nice, Lambo Bovino. Just how dangerous can it be?"

"I made a five mile crater once." Lambo said in a deadpan. "The only living thing in the area was trees though, and they got disintegrated. Well, Tsuna-nii did get mad at me for disintegrating some squirrels." Yamamoto laughed.

"Sounds like Tsuna." Lambo grinned wider.

"Well, I'm going to be going soon, so, before I go," He went over to Tsuna and lifted him off the ground, scooping him up in a hug. "You're so cute like this, Tsuna-nii!" He yelled, ruffling Tsuna's hair. Tsuna squirmed in his grasp, but Lambo wouldn't let go. He leaned down and whispered to Tsuna so that no one else could hear, "Don't make yourself stand in anyone's shadow. Happy birthday, Tsuna-nii." Tsuna flushed, and reciprocated the hug, before Lambo let go. Lambo ruffled Tsuna's hair again as he stepped back. "It's great to see you all, and Tsuna-nii, let your hair grow out longer. In high school, you let it grow out and then most of the girls started killing each other over you. Trust me! It'll look hot!" Lambo disappeared in a puff of smoke. Little Lambo appeared, munching happily on grape candy. Tsuna blinked.

"Did I just get fashion advice from a cow from the future?" He asked out loud.

"When you put it like that…" Yamamoto trailed off.

"I wonder what Onii-san would look like…" Gokudera wondered.

"Hn." Tsuna covered his hair with his hands, scowling.

_Don't you all act like that!_ Bianchi laughed, and toyed with a soft lock of his hair.

"The cow's definitely on the mark with this one, Tsu-chan."

"What did he tell you, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Fon asked. Tsuna blinked.

_Hm?_

"When he whispered to you. I was wondering what he said to." Dino pitched in. Tsuna flushed again and waved his hand.

_Oh, nothing important really….._ Reborn could tell Tsuna was uncomfortable and decided to take some of the pressure off the boy.

"I have declared the winner as Bovino Lambo!" Reborn exclaimed. Little Lambo's head shot up.

"YAY! THE GREAT LAMBO-SAMA STRIKES AGAIN!" He exclaimed, and hopped into Tsuna's arms. He blew a raspberry at I-Pin. "SUCK IT, TAIL-HEAD!"

"I KILL YOU, BROCCOLI MONSTER!" I-Pin chased after Lambo as he ran off.

Eventually, they got around to cake and presents, and after every present had been given, Reborn requested that Tsuna sing. Tsuna looked a little hesitant at first, but soon enough, most of the room was chanting for him to get up there and sing for them.

"COME ON, TUNA!" Yamamoto exclaimed.

"YOU CAN DO IT, ONII-SAN."

"Hn."

"DO IT, TSUNA-NII!"

"GEGE GOOD SINGER!"

"I would love to hear you, Tsunayoshi-kun…"

"Please Tsu-chan?!" Reborn gave Tsuna an evil smile.

"You _have_ to do it, Tsuna. It _is_ my birthday, after all." Tsuna sighed, but stood up. The moment he did, the room burst into applause. He scowled at them, but made his way to the front of the room. He pulled out a chair, which he sat on, uncomfortable and nervous. He started out facing down.

"He can si-?" Dino started to ask, but Gokudera shoved a piece of dynamite in his mouth to shut him up and he got the idea.

_"One track mind like a gold fish._

_ Stuck inside my petri dish_

_ I can't breathe and I can't smile,_

_ This better be worth my while"_

_ "I feel numb most of the time._

_ The lower I get the higher_

_ I'll climb_

_ And I will wonder why,_

_ I got dark only to shine~"_

Tsuna's voice became powerful and strong, resonating inside the house.

_ "Looking for the golden light_

_ Oh, it's a reasonable sacrifice,_

_ Burn, burn, burn bright."_

_ "Forgo family, forgo friends._

_ It's how it started, how it ends._

_ I can't open up and cry._

_ Cuz I've been silent all my life."_

_ "I feel numb most of the time._

_ The lower I get the higher I'll climb._

_ And I will wonder why,_

_ I got dark only to shine~_

_ Looking for the golden light._

_ Oh, it's a reasonable sacrifice,_

_Burn, burn, burn, bright_

_ Burn, burn, burn, bright."_

_ "Oh, I get dark, oh, and I'm in hell_

_ I need a friend, but I can't yell._

_ Yeah I'm no good, no good to anyone_

_ Cuz all I care about, is being number one."_

_ "Shine~_

_ Looking for the golden light_

_ Oh it's a reasonable sacrifice."_

_ "Shine~_

_ Looking for the golden light_

_ Oh it's a reasonable sacrifice."_

_ "I feel numb most of the time_

_ The lower I get the higher I'll climb_

_ And I will wonder why_

_ I got dark only to shine"_

_ "And I light up the sky_

_ Stars that burn the brightest_

_ Fall so fast and pass you by_

_ Cough like empty lighters."_

_ "I feel numb most of the time_

_ The lower I get the higher I'll climb_

_ And I will wonder why_

_ I get dark only to shine_

_ And I light up the sky_

_ Stars that burn the brightest_

_ Fall so fast and pass you by,_

_ Spark like empty lighters"_

Everyone stood completely still, stunned into silence. The way his voice had sounded….no one was sure if this was his best song yet or not. The lyrics of the song seemed negative, and about Tsuna in some places, but Reborn quickly comprehended that every single line was about him, as if the boy knew his past as well as Reborn did. Every line spoke to Reborn specifically, even if he didn't want to admit it. And it was hopeful. That was the best thing about it. You weren't able to tell by just knowing the lyrics, but the way it was sung….told the rest of the story.

Slowly, the clapping started, before it turned into roaring applause, with Dino whistling cheerfully, Yamamoto and Gokudera freaking out in the audience happily, Bianchi gushing, and Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta jumping up and down in the audience, screaming about how amazing their big brother was. Tsuna flushed and rushed back to sit down, embarrassed.

Yamamoto clapped him on the back when he sat down, roaring,

"THERE YOU GO, TUNA FISH!" Tsuna turned beet red.


	13. Chapter 13

Songs: Shake it out by Florence + the Machine

XXXX

The next day, they all sort of ended up back at Tsuna's house. Well, just Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Hibari. The door was answered by Bianchi (who was wearing goggles), and they were invited inside. As soon as they stepped inside the house, they were hit with the smell of cookies. They froze.

"Aaah." Yamamoto sighed. "That smells so good." Gokudera sniffed the air.

"Mhm." He agreed. The house was comfortably warm from the oven and the cookie smell was amazing. Even Hibari agreed.

"Hn." Yamamoto poked his head into the kitchen, curious to see who was making cookies. He blinked when he saw a fluffy haired boy pulling cookies out of the oven.

"Tsuna?" Tsuna spun around, a spoon sticking out of his mouth.

"Mm?" He said through the spoon.

"Why are you making cookies?" Yamamoto wondered, as the three of them walked in.

"You must be such a good cook, Onii-san!" Gokudera exclaimed excitedly. Tsuna shrugged, and set the pan on top of the oven. He took the spoon out of his mouth.

"I'm making them for Iey-kun's birthday, so Mom doesn't have to do all of the cooking." The three boys froze. Tsuna didn't pay much attention, busy with the cookies and the rest of the kitchen.

"Tsuna." Yamamoto said.

"Mhm?" Tsuna checked on a cake that was in the oven, and then went over to the corner, where he was making frosting for it.

"You're twins."

"Yes." Tsuna said, clearly not getting the point.

"Today's your _birthday_." Yamamoto said, horrified that he hadn't known, and that Tsuna wasn't even celebrating it. Tsuna spun around and shook his head.

"We're ten minutes apart. I'm before midnight, he's after." So that meant that Tsuna's birthday….

"It was yesterday." Hibari finished Yamamoto's thought out loud. Tsuna nodded and started to put the cookies on a cooling rack.

"Onii-san!" Gokudera exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us?! You were so busy with Reborn's party, but that should have been for you too!" Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish look on his face.

_I sort of forgot._ Yamamoto snorted.

"You forgot your own birthday." Tsuna shrugged.

_I was busy….I didn't really think about it. _

"You _forgot._" Yamamoto repeated incredulously.

"I didn't think about it until Lambo wished me a happy birthday." Tsuna admitted. Yamamoto sighed. That was definitely Tsuna. So busy taking care of other people that he once again, forgot about himself.

"But we should have known your birthday anyways!" Gokudera protested. Yamamoto walked over to Tsuna and gave him a one-armed hug, ruffling his hair. Since Yamamoto associated Nana more with Ieyoshi, he didn't even think about it until Hibari said it out loud.

"Didn't your mother wish you a happy birthday?" Tsuna froze, as did Yamamoto and Gokudera. Then, Tsuna shook it off and shrugged, like it actually didn't bother him that his mother hadn't wished him a happy birthday. Her _eldest son._ Her _first born._ She had _forgotten._

"Oh no she didn't." Gokudera growled. Tsuna shook his head furiously and gently touched Gokudera's arm.

"It's okay. She usually forgets anyways, since she's so busy with Iey-kun-," Tsuna closed his mouth at the horrified look on Gokudera and Yamamoto's faces, and the disappointed look in Hibari's eyes.

"Goddamn it, Tsuna, that's not okay!" Yamamoto burst out angrily. Tsuna gave him a slightly frightened, slightly confused look, like he didn't understand.

"Onii-san, how dare she forget about you! Repeatedly! Did she at least remember today?" Tsuna shrugged again, which they all interpreted as a no. The phone rang in the kitchen, and Nana appeared in the doorway, a pleasant smile on her face when she saw Tsuna and his friends.

"I'll get it, Tsu-kun." She picked up the phone. "Iemitsu! You called!" she immediately exclaimed. There was chatter on the other line. "Oh, I love you too! I'll hand you off to Iey-kun." She went to the foot of the stairs. "Iey-kun!" She called up. "Your father's on the line! Please pick up the phone upstairs!"

"'Kay! Got it!" Ieyoshi called back, and when Nana was sure that Ieyoshi had the phone, she put it back in the cradle. She came back to the kitchen, smiling.

"Yamamoto-kun, Gokudera-kun, Hibari-kun, I don't believe we've been formally introduced." Yamamoto and Gokudera were still too horrified to speak properly, so Hibari inclined his head first.

"We have not, Sawada-san." Nana waved a hand, letting out a girlish giggle.

"Oh, you don't have to call me Sawada-san. It makes me feel old. Everyone around here calls me Mama." Hibari silently resigned to never call her that. He nodded though. She turned to Yamamoto and Gokudera, still glowing with happiness. "You two can call me Mama too!"

"It's nice to meet you." Yamamoto forced out, his smile not reaching his eyes.

"Likewise." Gokudera said through gritted teeth. The timer on the oven beeped, and Tsuna jumped, startled. His eyes widened as he rushed to get the cake out, worried he had burnt it. When it was out, Nana let out a small laugh, and said in an airy tone,

"You must have so much trouble with my useless son! You seem like such nice boys." Gokudera snapped.

"Listen bit-," Yamamoto covered Gokudera's mouth before he said anything he was going to regret. Thankfully, Nana was oblivious. Yamamoto let out a nervous laugh.

"Tsuna isn't useless! He's awesome." Tsuna resisted the urge to hide his face in the cook book because he was so red. Yamamoto released Gokudera, who glared at Yamamoto, but agreed.

"Onii-san is incredible!"

"He fights well." Hibari offered tonelessly, which was probably the best compliment Tsuna was ever going to get from him.

"Hey Tsuna, why are you hiding behind the cook book?"

Later, a few of Ieyoshi's friends came in and goofed around in the kitchen, so Tsuna crammed his own upstairs. Most of the party was spent trying to hold Hibari back from biting the people downstairs to death. And it was one hell of a job. Tsuna had to borrow Reborn's Leon Mallet. It was weird; Hibari spent half the time fighting and the other half napping.

When Reborn and Bianchi found out about Tsuna's birthday, they were very, very angry about it, but Tsuna wouldn't let them go downstairs to chew Nana out. He thought that his mother was stressed enough already.

When it was almost over, and the last trickle of people were leaving, Tsuna decided to go downstairs to clean up. When he was going down the stairs, Reborn jumped on his head.

"You don't have to." Reborn said sternly. Tsuna blinked. "You didn't get to celebrate your birthday yesterday, you owe him nothing, and you don't have to do this for him. He should clean up on his own."

_But Mom…._

"Tsuna, you don't owe her anything either. You don't have to do _anything_ for her. She _forgot_ about you, and that's not okay." Clearly, Reborn was still angry about Nana. But how could he not be? She had forgotten about her own son. She had chosen over the other. Reborn had seen the hints in everyday life; how she came in to check on Ieyoshi before he went to bed, said goodnight and that she loved him, but didn't bother to do the same for Tsuna. She never stopped Ieyoshi from taking Tsuna's food, always called Tsuna useless- airily, and jokingly, but _all the time_, while she never mentioned Ieyoshi's faults. And on top of that, she was the one to let Ieyoshi run loose in the first place. And don't even get Reborn _started_ on everything that Iemitsu had done wrong.

Tsuna shook his head.

_I'll just go down and help a little._ But as usual, he ended up cleaning the entire thing. Though, Reborn did take this opportunity to plan a certain something with Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Hibari.

Downstairs, after Nana headed up, Ieyoshi watched Tsuna clean up from across the room, arms crossed. Just as Tsuna was finishing up, Ieyoshi said,

"Dad loves me more than you." Tsuna froze for a moment, but shook it off and did his best to ignore his brother. Ieyoshi let out a bitter laugh. "Come on. He doesn't really love either of us, but he loves me more than you. He _forgot_ about you. Didn't bother to call for you yesterday, did he? Or even ask about you." _Ignore him, ignore him, ignore him…._ Tsuna chanted to himself. Ieyoshi leaned against the counter.

"Besides, he did pick me over you. But no one wants someone so useless as you for a boss anyways. God, he must have been so relieved that I was still an option. Could you imagine him trying to explain to Nono and Reborn how they had to train a mute weakling? He doesn't even want to _think_ about you. And he's so proud of me." Tsuna's hands trembled against his will.

"Mom doesn't really love you either. I guess that's just what happens when you're….you." The glass shattered against the ground. It had slipped from Tsuna's trembling hands. Tsuna turned away from Ieyoshi, grabbing the broom to clean up the mess. He carefully lifted up the pieces of glass. "Oh God, did she forget about you _again_?" The glass sliced into Tsuna's hand.

_It's not true…it's not true…she loves me…I know she does…she has to…just not as much as Iey-kun….but she still loves me….right? _His grip tightened around the glass involuntarily and it cut deeply into his hand. Blood dripped onto the floor, but he ignored it, trying to slow his breathing. Tears stung his eyes, but he blinked them back.

"She still didn't remember did she? Oh my God. I was just trying to bother you when I said she didn't love you, but she actually doesn't, does she?!" Ieyoshi said gleefully. Tsuna gripped the glass tightly, and Ieyoshi burst out laughing. "That's great! You really are just as pathetic as I thought you were!" The broom clattered to the ground as Tsuna sprinted out of the room, tears dripping down his face. He wouldn't let Ieyoshi see him cry. He ran out the backdoor, the door slamming behind him.

Hearing the slam and Ieyoshi laugh, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Reborn, and Hibari came down the stairs. Yamamoto was the first on in the kitchen.

"Where's Tsuna?" He demanded. Ieyoshi snorted.

"Ran out the backdoor. Couldn't take the heat, apparently." All of their eyes were drawn to the glass and blood scattered on the kitchen floor. Reborn had his gun pointed at Ieyoshi in a second.

"What did you do to him?" Reborn growled. Ieyoshi smirked.

"Nothing; he was the one who dropped the glass and cut his hand picking it up."

"If we find out you did anything to hurt him I'm going to shove this piece of dynamite down your throat." Gokudera hissed, snatching the front of Ieyoshi's shirt. Ieyoshi stared back passively.

"Go check yourself. He's outside. I didn't lay a finger on him." Gokudera released him, and chased after Yamamoto and Hibari, who were already heading outside.

Yamamoto knew that Ieyoshi hadn't laid a finger on Tsuna the moment he stepped outside. Tsuna would never cry so hard from being beaten.

He sprinted off the steps of the porch, into the dark backyard, where Tsuna was leaning against a tree, legs pulled up to his chest. Yamamoto could hear him sobbing from where he was standing. He ran to his best friend's side, kneeling down next to him and stroking his hair.

"Oh God, Tsuna….what did he say to you?" Yamamoto asked softly.

"Nothing-….that….wasn't….true…" Tsuna hiccupped, struggling to get anything out between his tears. Yamamoto could see Tsuna was trying so hard not to cry, and it was only making him cry harder. Gokudera knelt next to Tsuna too.

"Onii-san…" He whispered, not sure what else to do. Hibari, who was in front of Tsuna, was probably the most awkward of all three of them. Yamamoto pulled Tsuna into his arms, stroking his best friend's hair. He let his friend cry for a few minutes before he spoke. In that time, Reborn made his way over quietly, his hat shadowing his eyes.

"Tsuna." Yamamoto said quietly. "Tell us what's wrong." Tsuna took another moment of trying to bite back sobs, blink away tears, and breathe deeply to calm himself down. Yamamoto wanted to cry at how much trouble Tsuna was having doing so. Tsuna was very, very upset.

"I don't know- I never used to….never used to get jealous that Mom loved Iey-kun more than me….it n-n-never used to bother me…a little-but not like _this_…..Dad too…I've thought it a million times- but when he said it…I just….I don't w-w-want to be jealous!" Tsuna cried out after a few minutes of struggling to form coherent sentences. "I don't know why I am! Mom's f-f-forgotten before…and…I….I never….Dad picked Iey-kun over m-me too-but….I feel awful…am I a b-bad person?...I h-hate this….i h-hate myself…why can't I just fucking die…." Yamamoto crushed Tsuna against his chest tightly, tears streaming down his face. Tsuna had resorted to a silent crying- the kind you fall back onto when your throat is too raw to cry any harder and you just can't stop.

"Tsuna, don't you ever say that. There is absolutely _nothing_ wrong with you. You're smart, and sweet, and kind, and brave….Ieyoshi was wrong to say all of that…."

"It's….still…true…" Tsuna forced out. Yamamoto winced. He didn't know how to tell his friend that it wasn't. Because it seemed very much like it was and Yamamoto didn't want to lie to him. But Ieyoshi still shouldn't have said it. Gokudera reached out to touch Tsuna's hand.

"Onii-san." He whispered. "It doesn't matter what your parents feel about you, or how much they love you, or if they don't at all. Because we're your family too and _we _love you. You are absolutely perfect the way you are." Tsuna pressed his face into Yamamoto's chest, still crying. After a moment, Tsuna leaned back to take a deep breath of air. When he did, Hibari reached out and pulled Tsuna forward. All of them watched as Hibari looked Tsuna straight in the eyes.

_"Regrets collect, like old friends._

_ Here to relive, your darkest moments,_

_ I can see no way, I can see no way."_

Yamamoto blinked, hard, at the soft voice emanating from Hibari. It wasn't melodic and perfect and beautiful like Tsuna's. It was only slightly better than average; he probably didn't have much of a range, but it was fairly pleasant to listen to. But…Yamamoto was so grateful to Hibari for this. He joined in. His voice was fairly average too; Hibari was slightly better than him, but at least he wasn't horribly tone deaf.

_ "And all of the ghouls come out to play._

_ Every demon wants his pound of flesh._

_ But I like to keep some things to myself._

_ I like to keep my issues drawn._

_ It's always darkest before the dawn."_

Tsuna's tears were slowing a little, and Yamamoto kept one hand on his friend protectively. Gokudera joined in. Their song was good in that way where big groups always are; you can't really hear the individuals well enough to listen to them screw it up.

_"And I've been a fool and I've been blind._

_ I can never leave the past behind,_

_ I can see no way, I can see now ay._

_ I'm always dragging that horse around._

_ Our love is questioned, such a mournful sound._

_ Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground._

_ So I like to keep my issues drawn,_

_ But it's always darkest before the dawn."_

_ "Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out."_

Unfortunately, since they were not as good as Tsuna, they could not sing like he could. As they struggled with the chorus, Tsuna laughed, and joined in, his voice rough, but beautiful.

_"Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa._

_ And it's hard to dance, with a devil on your back,_

_ So shake him off, whoa."_

_ And I am done with my graceless heart,_

_ So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart._

_ Cause I like to keep my issues drawn._

_ It's always darkest before the dawn." _

They let the song wind down, as Tsuna smiled through a tear-streaked face.

"Arigato." He whispered, and leaned against Yamamoto, letting his head rest on his best friend's chest. He closed his eyes, and yawned. "Today really sucked." He admitted, and Yamamoto snorted at his blunt tone. Tsuna yawned again, and Yamamoto realized that he must be very tired. He scooped up his friend as he stood up. Yamamoto glanced to the other two.

"I'll take him up." He promised. Gokudera and Hibari nodded wordlessly. Gokudera touched Tsuna's arm again, and whispered to him,

"Don't forget that we're here for you." Hibari just glared at the small boy.

"Don't say such pitiful things about yourself, Tsunayoshi. It's almost painful to listen to the whining." Tsuna snorted sleepily. Yamamoto grinned. That was Hibari's way of saying, _Don't say things like that about yourself, because it hurts me too._ But Hibari didn't do heartfelt and wouldn't ever (unless a certain plan changed that, but that was for a less critical time). They said goodbye and left, and Yamamoto carried Tsuna inside the house. When he came into the kitchen, where Ieyoshi still was, a hardened, hitman-esque look was all it took to send Ieyoshi running.

After Yamamoto placed Tsuna in bed, he examined his hand and brought some bandages in from the bathroom to disinfect it and wrap it up. As he did, he whispered to his friend,

"The reason you feel jealous isn't because you're a bad person or anything. It's because before, you didn't know how things could be better. Now you know how things are better and you don't want that sort of life anymore. And that is just fine." Tsuna moved in his sleep, but didn't wake up. Yamamoto placed Tsuna's wrapped-up hand back on the bed. Lambo, Fuuta, and I-Pin creeped in.

"Was Gege crying?" I-Pin whispered in the dim lighting of the room. Yamamoto nodded. "Why?"

"He was sad. And rightfully so. But he's better now. You guys should stay with him tonight, though. He needs it." Yamamoto explained softly. He watched as the three kids slowly climbed into Tsuna's bed. Unconsciously, Tsuna flipped in his sleep and wrapped his arms around them. Yamamoto grinned, and made sure to turn off the light and close the door before he left.

When he was downstairs, he came across Nana cleaning up the glass in the kitchen, looking worried. Yamamoto went straight in, and let her have it.

"How could you?" Nana spun around, eyes wide and frightened at Yamamoto's tone. Yamamoto narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you have any idea how bad you've hurt Tsuna? He was crying so hard tonight, because he thought you loved Ieyoshi more than him." Nana flinched. "You let Ieyoshi hit him and torture him and ruin his life. You just stand by as Ieyoshi does all these terrible things, and let Tsuna clean up the mess and then some. He takes care of everything around here, and instead of telling him that you love him and that you'll take care of it, you just call him useless and let him keep going. He's like a broken machine. Everything you say to him drives him harder and unless you stop him he will keep on going until he's dead. _Pull yourself together and take care of your son._ He deserves better." Yamamoto snapped, eyes cold. Nana flinched again, and sat down at the kitchen table. She started crying.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, choking back tears in order to speak. "It's just that I can't face him. Not after what I've let Iey-kun do- how can I ever face Tsu-kun? I was scared….I didn't realize that he thought….I always _forget_ because Iey-kun needs me a lot more than Tsu-kun does and then…" She lapsed into tears and Yamamoto sighed.

"Go talk to Tsuna tomorrow." He ordered, before turning out of the room to leave. Reborn was in the hallway waiting for him.

"Thanks, Yamamoto." Reborn said softly. Yamamoto nodded firmly, his eyes softening.

"Someone needed to say something to her." Nana wasn't a bad person in his opinion; but her priorities had gotten mixed up and she just didn't know what to do. She couldn't handle both of her children by herself, so she chose the one who needed her a lot more. Yamamoto couldn't blame her for her reasoning, even though he thought it was wrong. Iemitsu should have been there to help.

In all this commotion, nobody noticed Ieyoshi grinning at the top of the stairs, with the Ranking Book in his hands. He had gotten what he needed.

XXXX

On Sunday, Tsuna's friends ended up throwing him a birthday party, and Reborn laughed for a whole five minutes after seeing the gifts Tsuna got.

From Bianchi, a panic button. It was this little Hallmark button thing that said panic button on it and you pushed it and Hoops and Yoyo started freaking the hell out (A.N. not kidding I saw one of these and I want it) On the buttom she slapped on a sticker that said, USE IN CASE OF RAPE.

From Gokudera, a special compound of dynamite, which Tsuna wasn't very surprised at.

From Fon, a meditation book and set, and a promise to teach him that same flamey thing that Tsuna had seen Fon use during the talent contest for Reborn's party.

From Lambo and I-Pin, a set of badly drawn pictures depicting them, but Tsuna smiled, told them he loved them, and hung them up on his wall later. Also, Lambo and I-Pin gifted him with a wrapping paper tube sword to "defend himself from the meanie".

Fuuta gave him a ranking- just simple things, like Tsuna's combat prowess, but Fuuta seemed embarrassed about having nothing else to give.

From Dino, first-class tickets to Italy for him and all his friends, to use whenever. Also, a Visa card with ten thousand dollars on it. "For other trip expenses and just to use however you want." Dino had explained. Tsuna was a little embarrassed at the sheer magnitude of the gift, but thanked him profusely for it.

From Yamamoto, a giant, metal fly swatter that had apparently been crafted in mass production, with the words, SIBLING SWATTER printed on the side.

Finally, from Hibari, a taser. Reborn laughed so hard about that. He just found it so hilarious.

Reborn had given Tsuna a DVD of all the filming Reborn had done of him and his friends so far.

Later that night Nana had sat down with Tsuna, and talked with him, and it made Tsuna feel so much better to know that Nana really did love him. His mother had hugged him tight and broken down crying several times. Her birthday present completely blew him away. They had an old piano in the living room, but it was out of tune and so old that most of the keys didn't work, and it was just unplayable. It was more for decoration than actual use. Which was a shame, because Nana had taught him when he was little and he wasn't able to play for the longest time. So apparently, she decided to _buy a new piano._ A sleek, black, beautiful baby grand piano.

"I'm not trying to buy your love." Nana had said quietly. "But I just don't know how to apologize for what I've done to you."

Tsuna could forgive his mother. Not because of the present. But because she understood how wrong she was. She understood how not okay any of this was. That was really all he could ask for from her.

"Tsuna…" Reborn started when they were alone in his room one day. He blinked up from his homework at the infant in front of him. "What you said…did you really mean it?" That was one part that Tsuna hated about admitting how he felt. He was so afraid that people would think how he felt was stupid, that what he was sad about was stupid, and think it was ridiculous for him to say those kind of things. Because he didn't have any right to complain, did he? Not when there were kids out there being abused, sexually, physically, verbally. There were kids that were homeless. Orphaned children. Children with terminal diseases. And here he was, feeling sorry for himself and it just felt pathetic to admit that he was upset over such a miniscule thing. It didn't matter if his parents had forgotten his birthday. He was lucky to have them. So instead of answering Reborn, Tsuna looked down and fidgeted. Reborn took that as a yes. "Do you still feel that way?" Tsuna shrugged. He didn't feel like that currently, but thoughts and feelings like that didn't go away overnight. Reborn hopped over, closer to Tsuna. He touched Tsuna's hand gently. "It's okay to talk about it. I'm not telling you to talk about it, but don't forget that while listening and helping others is great, you have a right to be heard too." Tsuna gave Reborn a half smile, and Reborn bounced out of the room to leave Tsuna to his homework.

XXXX

Reborn was a little irritated.

While he and Shamal had hoped that Tsuna's body would have naturally strengthened against the Dying Will flames, that had not happened yet. Which meant that it was time to speed up the process.

Reborn hadn't wanted to use this way; it was very dangerous, in too many ways. But he couldn't very well just go up to Tsuna and shoot him with the Dying Will Bullet until he got the Talking Skull disease which would help strengthen his body against the output of flames. He didn't think Tsuna had enough regrets to reanimate ten times. So instead, they were relying on Ieyoshi's stupidity.

Which, now he thought about it, was very reliable. It was always there.

It was sort of sick, twisted plan, but he already had Shamal, Fon, and Bianchi recruited for it, and this was necessary if Tsuna was going to become boss.

Reborn bounced down the hall to announce to Ieyoshi about Nono ordering them to capture Rokudo Mukuro.

"Ieyoshi-baka." He ordered, flying into the side of Ieyoshi's head and knocking him down. Reborn sprang up on the bed, while Ieyoshi grumbled angrily and sat up.

"What?" He snapped.

"Don't use that tone with me and we've received orders from Nono to capture or kill the infamous killer Rokudo Mukuro, who has broken out of prison." Reborn informed him curtly. In fact, they had received orders last week, but neither Ieyoshi nor Tsuna were actually ready to take Rokudo Mukuro on. Ieyoshi scowled and sat up.

"I have to capture someone who broke out of _prison?!_" He demanded incredulously.

"Mafia prison. Which is 80 times harder to break out of than regular prison." Reborn said cheerfully. Ieyoshi scowled deeper.

"Fucking idiot….why do I have to do this…" He muttered.

"Yes, so you better train hard, Ieyoshi-baka, because I don't care if you die in the process of capturing him." Ieyoshi clearly wanted to say something to Reborn, but by this point, knew better than to mouth off. Most of the time.

"Fine." Ieyoshi muttered. "Now get the fuck out of my room." Reborn smacked him in the head as he backflipped through the air and out of the room. He went to the hallway, where he knew Ieyoshi would be listening in. Bianchi was standing in the hallway, waiting for him. And thus, the act began.

"I heard you got the letter from Nono. Did he send it as a response to your last one?" She asked casually. Reborn nodded.

"He says he'll consider Tsuna. He has to, as long as Tsuna is around. He's the older twin. He has the position by birthright. If Tsuna takes incentive and declares himself as Vongola Decimo, Ieyoshi probably won't even be allowed to fight it out for the position. He'll be down in a second."

"Does he agree with you?" Bianchi questioned. "To put Tsu-chan in?" Reborn shrugged.

"Not really, but then again, he hasn't really met Tsuna. I'm sure that he'll be won over in a moment if he meets him though, and we really can solve this without a drop of blood." Bianchi smiled, in case Ieyoshi was looking out.

"Good. What will happen to Ieyoshi?" Reborn shrugged again.

"He'll probably end up working with Dino or something."

Back in his room, as Ieyoshi listened in, he felt a spike of terror. This couldn't be true. Could it? Could Tsuna actually take his future from him just like that? No. He was weak. He couldn't….

But he could, and that was what Ieyoshi was afraid of. He scowled deeply. Oh, what he would give to have his brother back under his thumb. It was all because of those stupid friends of his that he was running wild now and causing problems for Ieyoshi. His brother, the stupid little bitch that he was, would completely destroy Ieyoshi's future for him and Ieyoshi wouldn't stand for that. Especially not when his new future would require him to work with the Chivarone idiot. There was no fucking way he was going to be anything less than the boss. He was Sky. Reborn had mentioned something about those stupid flames, and he would be the sky everything else centered around. It was his _destiny._ Not his brother. Not his weak, pathetic, _inadequate_ brother.

Fuck Rokudo Mukuro. Ieyoshi had managed to lead him to believe that Tsuna was going to be Decimo. It was surprisingly easy to keep the charade up, partly because when you saw the brigade of friends around him, it was easy to see them as Famiglia. Also, Reborn preferred to spend time with Tsuna when he wasn't training Ieyoshi as did the others in the household. Tsuna was more immersed in mafia than he was. But that was fine with Ieyoshi, because these weren't the type of people he would be associating with for the rest of his life. He would be associating with killers, and thieves, and serious people who took this seriously, not a bunch of weirdo lunatics like the people he was dealing with now. (A.N. well…Ieyoshi…I hate to break it to you…well I don't…but…)

So outward appearnces could fool anyone into thinking Tsuna was Vongola Decimo. Rokudo had made a simple mistake, and probably would have discovered that on his own, but Ieyoshi had misled him.

In any case, Ieyoshi was going to get rid of his brother. It didn't matter what Rokudo thought. He was planning on backstabbing that freaky bastard anyways. Besides, Nono had sent Ieyoshi to capture or kill Rokudo anyways. If Ieyoshi got rid of his brother, any way that you looked at it, he came out the winner.

And with that, Ieyoshi fell for Reborn's plan. Reborn may not have nown about Ieyoshis association with Rokudo Mukuro, but he had counted on Ieyoshi's stupidity, jealousy, insecurity, and god-awful schemes. Ieyoshi tore through Reborn's belongings, looking for the extra gun. Ieyoshi knew he had several, but he just needed one and some bullets. He quickly found a handgun, but couldn't spot any bullets except for a single one. But he needed more. So he quickly drew back and put everything back in its place, before jamming the gun underneath his mattress. He would get his hands on some more bullets somehow.

XXXX

"Thank you for this list." Mukuro muttered, as he looked through the list of the best fighters in the Nami Chuu. Even though he knew that Sawada Ieyoshi was a backstabbing liar and traitor, he did good work while he was under the impression that Mukuro only considered him a minion. Well, even though Mukuro couldn't quite see him as a minion, he didn't see him as much better. Maybe…an enemy minion. Yes, enemy minion number three. He was just playing the boy. Ieyoshi hadn't even see his real face.

The list was mostly what Mukuro expected though, with the exception of Sawada Tsunayoshi. Mukuro knew that Ieyoshi was the real Vongola Decimo, and just looking for a way to get rid of competition. Well, Mukuro wanted to get rid of the competition too. He needed to take over Ieyoshi's body, and if another Vongola candidate rose to power and challenged him, it would be quite troublesome and rather annoying. So he would take care of him here. Honestly, he didn't originally think the boy would be much of a challenge- he was sure that the problem would be dealing with distraught Guardians/friends later on.

Anyways, the top five of the list looked like this;

5. Sasagawa Ryohei

4. Gokudera Hayato

3. Yamamoto Takeshi

2. Sawada Tsunayoshi

1. Hibari Kyoya

No wonder Ieyoshi was so frightened of losing his position of Vongola Decimo. How long would he last, when he couldn't even beat his weaker twin out for the second spot of the school's best fighters?

Then again, this was an important reminder to Mukuro that appearances could be deceiving. There was more to Tsunayoshi, if he could take the second spot, second only to Hibari Kyoya, who was on a level all his own.

"Mukuro, what are we going to do?" Chikusa asked. "Now that we have the list, of course." Mukuro grinned.

"I think we've spent enough time attacking D.C. members. Attack Sasagawa Ryohei."


	14. Chapter 14

I don't believe there is a song in this chapter.

Enjoy!

XXXX

"He seems very mature." Fon said, talking to Reborn quietly. They were both sitting at the kitchen table, were Reborn was cleaning his gun. A lot of bullets were strewn across the table. Reborn blinked.

"Hm?"

"Tsunayoshi-kun. He's fourteen now and I'm sure he will become even more mature than he is now." Fon said. Reborn snorted.

"Fon, I caught him playing Temple Run and checking his email the other day. At the same time." Fon tilted his head, blinking in a quiet look of shock. Then;

"I wonder how that would work."

"He was playing with his toes." Fon smiled.

"Where is Tsunayoshi-kun now?" Reborn waved his hand dismissively.

"Eh, went to school for something."

What Reborn did not know, was that at school, Tsuna was currently meeting up with Irie Shouichi.

They were in the school's dark computer lab, door closed with a bell on the handle so they would hear people coming in. They were in the furthest corner of the lab, with Shouichi on the computer and Tsuna sitting in a chair and watching. Though, he was enjoying the chair far more than he should and spinning around excessively, along with pulling himself around the room with his arms. When he made it around the entire room and came back, Shouichi gave him a surprised look.

_What?_ Tsuna wondered. Shouchi shook his head.

"I hope you don't mind, but I got a friend of mine involved in the search. He just combed through a few files, nothing major. He's at a boarding school in England." Shouichi pulled up Skype (he had specifically designed a profile with the capabilities on this computer) and in moments, they were facing a blonde haired boy about their age, who was sucking on a wrench shaped lollipop with an apathetic expression on his face. He was sitting so that the back of the chair was in front.

"Hi." The boy said. He had an accent. Tsuna blinked.

"Hi Spanner. This is Sawada Tsunayoshi." Shouichi said, pointing at Tsuna. "Sawada-kun, this is Spanner." Tsuna gave a small wave to Spanner. "He doesn't talk much." Shouichi explained. Spanner gave a curt nod. "How's the search going?"

"Well, word is underground that there is a mafia family called the Estraneo that has performed inhuman experiments, but simultaneously come up with incredible discoveries. I traced the name Rokudo Mukuro back to them, but I didn't take any initiative to hack in. Besides, I'm not sure I could." Tsuna straightened up.

"Mafia?" Shouichi wondered. Spanner nodded.

"I've heard a little bit about them in my dorm, mainly just how dangerous they are, but nothing else realy. Why are you looking for this Rokudo Mukuro guy anyways?" Tsuna winced, and Shouichi turned to stare at him.

"What kind of guy is this, Sawada-kun?" Tsuna pulled out a piece of paper, scribbled a message on, and stuck it close to the screen. Spanner read it out loud.

"A criminal that has been seen near our town." Tsuna took the paper away from the screen and Spanner nodded. "So you think this is the guy that has been attacking people." Tsuna nodded. Shouichi, however, seemed a little nauseous.

"Why would he even be here?" He cried out, looking worried. Tsuna shrugged. Shouichi doubled over, rubbing his temple. "Mafia." He moaned. "In our town. We're all going to die." Spanner sighed.

"Pull yourself together Shouichi." When Shouichi rubbed his stomach and started hyperventilating, Spanner started to ignore him. "Anyways, Tsuna- can I call you Tsuna? Yeah I'll call you Tsuna- how did you find out about him anyways?" Tsuna scribbled on the paper, _The DC Chairman_ Apparently, Spanner had heard a lot about the Demon of Discipline, and nodded curtly. "Well, I've taken the liberty of mapping out Rokudo Mukuro sightings and have a picture of him. Would you like me to send it to you?" Tsuna nodded. A picture would be flipping fantastic.

In a second, it was loading on the computer, and Tsuna was surprised at how cute Rokudo was as a child. The only picture Spanner had found of him was Rokudo at the tender age of seven. Even though Tsuna knew that Rokudo must look very different now, he was sure that he would be able to recognize him if he saw him. Tsuna scrawled on the paper,

_Thank you. Can you not share this with anyone?_

"I already wiped it from my hard drive." Spanner said. "As far as I'm concerned, this is only a favor for Shouichi." Shouichi groaned.

"MAFIA! HERE! IN NAMIMORI!" Tsuna nodded and tilted his head a little.

_Arigato._

"Though I am curious to see how this will end up for you. Update me." Spanner said. "Shouichi, pull yourself together." He informed Shouichi, before clicking out. Tsuna turned to Shouichi, who was still massaging his forehead. He scribbled on the piece of paper,

_I don't suppose it would make it any better if I told you he was a mass murder and escaped from prison. _Shouichi groaned.

"WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME THAT?!" Tsuna suppressed a giggle. Shouichi finally straightened up, still looking a little green. "To think that such a man was attacking people at our school…" Shouichi muttered.

_He's our age._ Tsuna wrote. Shouichi's eyes just about bugged out of his head, and Tsuna corrected his writing. _Well, about our age. He might be a year older. And he probably wasn't attacking them himself. He has underlings to do that for him._ Shouichi gawked.

"UNDERLINGS?!" he shrieked. Tsuna suppressed another laugh, and nodded.

_Fellow escapees. But their paper trail disappeared along with Rokudo._ Shouichi threw his head back and slid away from the computer in despair. He held his hands up.

"I'm done. I'm just done." Tsuna let out a small giggle, before pulling his own chair up to the computer. He sent Bel a message. Bel had enthusiastically agreed to help hunt down Rokudo and they had set up a line of communication.

_You on?_ He sent to Bel. Bel immediately responded.

_Yes. No new revelations on Rokudo, but interesting thing. Estraneo; not was. IS. Present tense. Check it out. Hell of a security system. Thinking about Varia assault on possible facility. Wanna come? I think even Xan-chan would get a kick out of seeing you shoot the hell out of a it. Especially Xan-chan._

_ No._ Tsuna sent back. _But Estraneo? Didn't they die out?_

_ Supposed to. No confirmation. Anything new?_

_ Picture of Rokudo. Map of places he's been. No new patterns forming. Attacks have ceased. Picture will help a lot._

_ Send it?_

_ Not necessary. He's not by you._

"Who's that?" Shouichi asked curiously. Tsuna took a moment to scrawl on the paper and Shouichi read it out loud. "A hacker friend of mine with some shady connections." Shouichi groaned again and rubbed his stomach. "Why would someone like you have such dangerous friends?" He demanded, throwing his hands up in the air. Tsuna shrugged, and Shouichi spun around, taking something out of his bag. Tsuna ignored him for the moment to keep chatting with Bel.

_Estraneo facility? Didn't they have connections with Bovino family? _Tsuna asked. Bovino were dominating in the field of engineering. Hence Lambo's Ten-Year-Bazooka.

_Yes. Already checked them out though. Their connections were loose at best and they really don't know anything more about Estraneo than everyone else does._

_ Have all Estraneo facilities been cleaned out or taken over?_

_ Cleaned out of equipment. Abandoned. No guards. No Vindice. Nothing left. Possible plans for bulldozing ?_

_ One in Japan. Rumor that was the one Rokudo was tested in. Hence his Japanese name. Might check it out._

_ DO IT. _Bel tended to encourage violent actions.

_Vindice would have cleared everything out though._

_ They may not have found everything._ Bel suggested. _Estraneo might have found way to defy Vindice and hide things. Maybe that was why they were destroyed. _

_ Good thought. Gonna check it out, I think._

_ I'M COMING LOSER._

_ No. Not a good idea._

_ Too bad. I'm emotionally invested in this now. I've latched on like a leech._

_ No more Varia though._

_ Afraid of recruitment?_

_ Yes._

_ Sissy._

_ Shut it._

_ When?_

_ Soon._

_ Who?_

_ My friends; haven't met you but I think I you'd like them._ Tsuna made a mental note to exclude Gokudera. He really didn't want to, but Bel would recognize Smokin' Bomb Hayato.

_Safe?_ As in, they won't tell, they understand _omertá._

_Yes._

_ Update._

_ Yes._

_ Luss says hi._

_ I say hi back. Gotta go. Will talk later._

_ Okay. Keep training. Keep Varia in mind. Contact soon._

_ Ciao._

_ Funny. Mock the language. Arriverderci. _

Tsuna signed off and turned to Shouichi. He noticed that the red-haired student was half-heartedly tinkering with something. He leaned over Shouichi's shoulder and gently tapped him. Shouichi spun around. There was a little digital watch in his hands and he had the back ope and was doing something to it. Tsuna tilted his head, as if to ask,

_What are you doing?_ Shouichi shrugged.

"I like modifying things." He admitted. "And making things." Tsuna scribbled on the paper,

_Inventor?_ Shouichi blushed and rubbed his head nervously.

"I wouldn't go that far…" But Tsuna noticed the objects spilling out of his back, the tool kit, the strange objects he didn't really recognize, but clearly had been made or modified by Shouichi. So Tsuna wrote,

_INVENTOR._ Shouichi blushed even deeper, as he started shoving things back in his bag. They closed up the computer lab, and as they were leaving, Shouichi paused at the door.

"I'm sorry." He said, sounding sincere.

_?_

"For calling you the creepy silent kid. That was low." Tsuna waved his hand to let Shouichi know it was fine. "But I still feel guilty." Shouichi confessed. Tsuna shrugged, and gave him a small smile, before leaving the computer lab and waving goodbye.

Back at the house, Reborn sighed, and set his gun on the table.

"I should go train Ieyoshi." He said.

"And I should train Tsunayoshi-kun." Fon admitted to.

"How is that going, anyways?" Reborn wondered. Fon smiled.

"Very well. Tsunayoshi-kun has been learning my Bàofēng Lóngténg Wǔdǎo (A.N. Storm Dragon Dance. Probably not very correct since I used google translate) and I can admit he wields it well. But…"

"But?" Reborn prompted. Fon sighed.

"He wields it well, and it is good to use and for self defence, but if he is persevering forward and reaching new limits, he will need to personalize his own version, or at least learn a style suited for Sky flames. But he does wield the storm flame technique very well. I imagine that Tsunayoshi-kun has more than one flame wave if he's able to be this figuratively flexible when it comes to techniques." Fon explained. Reborn shrugged. He really wasn't worried about this.

"Knowing Tsuna, he will personalize his own version, if he seeks to persevere. So there isn't anything to worry about." Fon smiled again, and nodded.

"Now, you must go train your student." Fon reminded Reborn. Reborn groaned.

"I don't want to." He whined. "It takes effort and he's a pain in the ass. I prefer to shoot him."

"You can, just not critically." Fon chimed in calmly.

"But then it's not _fun._" Fon shook his head, suppressing a laugh.

"Get on with it. You should at least _try _to whip that boy into shape." Reborn grumbled, but sipped his espresso and picked up his gun from the table. Cleverly, he left a few bullets on the table, gave a look to Fon that said,

_Don't touch these._

"I'm going to the training area early to set up. Tell Ieyoshi to leave in about ten minutes." _And then clear out of here._ Reborn ordered Fon silently. Fon nodded, not sure about his plan, but he knew the Sun Arcobaleno enough to trust him. Reborn didn't think Fon would approve of his plan. With that, Reborn left, grinning.

And soon enough, in five minutes, Tsuna was home and heading to the dojo with Fon, and Ieyoshi quietly sneaked downstairs to pick up the bullets on the table, stashing them in his pocket.

XXXX

"WHAT?!" Gokudera nearly choked over his tea, as Tsuna explained to him, Yamamoto, and Hibari about the Varia. Hibari wasn't really that surprised to learn what the Varia really were, but he probably didn't care. Yamamoto had sounded interested, and Gokudera, having heard about the famous cruelty, was just about dying over his tea. "You got involved with people like them?! Are you crazy?!" Tsuna shrugged.

"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter since they're working for Vongola…." Gokudera waved his hands wildly.

"But Onii-san! There are plenty of people in Vongola who would kill you just because! Ieyoshi too, for that matter!"

"It's not like I can't handle myself." Tsuna said quietly. "Also, I don't think Xanxus would kill Vongola Decimo for numerous reasons." Tsuna knew that Xanxus wasn't Vongola by blood; it had taken a lot of online bribery, hacking into various websites for various people, but finally, after sending in some computer data and Ten Year Bazooka data to Verde (who didn't know who he was and Tsuna planned to keep it that way), he finally discovered that Xanxus had no actual relation to Vongola. So even though Xanxus was shooting for Vongola Decimo, he had to have a default plan, since Xanxus knew there was the possibility of the rings rejecting him. Which they would. So he wouldn't kill Vongola Decimo…

"Yes but isn't Ieyoshi-," Yamamoto was saying. He paused at the slightly mischevious look on Tsuna's face. "No way." Tsuna shrugged, his expression morphing into serious and bashful.

"I mean, I don't want Iey-kun to be Decimo because he will do so much damage….and I'm firstborn so the position is mine by birthright…it's not official or anything, Reborn hasn't notified Nono and Dad…but I'm fighting for the position." Tsuna said quietly. Gokudera and Yamamoto blinked at him for a moment. A slow grin spread across Yamamoto's face.

"THAT'S SO COOL!"

"JYUUDAIME!" Gokudera proclaimed. Tsuna winced at the volume and his friends shut up when Hibari pulled out his tonfas, telling the "herbivores" that if they continued to make "unnecessary noise" they would be fiercely "bitten to death". Tsuna knew that while Hibari didn't look it, he was extremely sensitive to loud noises. That was why Hibari didn't like crowding and people in general. He thought they were too noisy. "Can we be your Guardians?!" Gokudera wanted to know. Tsuna's eyes widened. Yamamoto tilted his head curiously.

"Guardians?"

"Well, each Vongola boss has six Guardians to protect him and the Family. They are super powerful and remain by his side forever." Gokudera was going twinkly-eyed at the thought of this. Tsuna winced, thinking, _Oh shit. _"Every Vongola boss needs his Guardians to officially be a boss, since they make up his immediate Famiglia. It is an incredible position and honor!" Gokudera seemed to be having some weird fantasies about protecting Tsuna for the rest of his life.

"That's so awesome, Tuna! Can we be your Guardians?!" Yamamoto exclaimed happily. Tsuna waved his hands, looking panicked.

"I don't want to involve you guys any more than I have to!" He said frantically, though his voice was still soft. For Tsuna, his normal voice was hardly above a whisper and his exclamation mark voice was only normal level. Yamamoto snorted.

"Idiot. You couldn't stop us if you tried!" He gave a small, maniacal giggle, and clapped Tsuna on the back, before slinging his arm around Tsuna's shoulder. "I'll definitely be one of your Guardians!"

"But-,"

"Me too, Jyuudaime!"

"But-,"

"Hn."

"Even you, Hibari-san?!"

"It will give me an opportunity to keep fighting you." Tsuna wanted to bang his head on the wall, but refrained.

"But I don't want you guys to get hurt." Yamamoto shrugged.

"Ma, ma Tsuna. We'll just have to train hard so we won't get hurt. Besides, it'll be fun! It'll be like a competition! And Hibari already has a leg up on us. We'll get so strong that we won't ever get hurt!"

"The pervert is right, Jyuudaime." Gokudera said solemnly. "We'll protect you forever!"

"But I don't need it-,"

"But we'll make it so no one needs it, Jyuudaime!"

"You don't have to call me Jyuu-,"

"**Jyuudaime.**" Gokudera said sternly, and Tsuna sweatdropped.

"O-okay then…" He said unhappily. But his friends seemed crazy determined to get in on this mafia thing….Tsuna had an idea. He wouldn't question Gokudera any further. After all, it wasn't that big of a deal to get a Mafioso involved in more mafia. Gokudera was mafia through and through, so Tsuna didn't feel bad about involving him. At least this way, he would have Gokudera close enough to protect him when he needed to. But Hibari and Yamamoto were different. They were civilian (if you can count Hibari as civilian). They were not mafia. So Tsuna immediately thought about that trip to the Japanese Estraneo facility, and Bel's idea of an assault on a possible Estraneo facility in Italy. And he decided to set a date and make it happen. The Japanese facility might not be so dangerous, but the one in Italy might. If anything too dangerous happened at the Japanese facility, he wouldn't go to the Italian one with them. If nothing happened, he would take them to Italy and show them. After making a mental note to contact Bel and set the date, another thought popped into his mind. "There's something else you should know…" He said shakily.

The next ten minutes were spent explaining about Rokudo Mukuro, and Tsuna's luck in finding things out about him.

"He's been attacking _my_ Disciplinary Committee?" Hibari growled. Tsuna cringed.

"Not him specifically, and not for sure, but it's really likely."

"I will bite him to death." Hibari's expression was _beyond _dark.

"That's really not nice of him. But I do feel kind of bad, since it sounds like he's had a hard life." Yamamoto said. "Why do you think he's doing it?" Tsuna shrugged. Meanwhile, Gokudera was having a mini panic attack in the corner.

"How could I have let Jyuudaime become involved in all these dangerous things without knowing? The criminal? The Varia? I'm a terrible Guardian! How will I ever redeem myself-," Tsuna just sort of ignored it.

"I'm not really sure, but Bel found a Japanese Estraneo facility-,"

"BEL?!"Gokudera roared. "YOU'RE BUDDY-BUDDY WITH THE GUY?!" Tsuna cringed a little.

"Well we've been messaging for a while now, and we've become friends, I guess-,"

"How long ago was this Varia thing anyways?" Yamamoto wondered absent mindedly.

"About four weeks ago." Hibari informed them sullenly, sounding pretty mad about the Rokudo thing.

"HOW COULD WE NOT KNOW? HOW COULD WE LET YOU BECOME FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE WE'VE NEVER EVEN MET, WE NEED TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR INNOCENCE-," Gokudera raged. Tsuna sweatdropped again. _Sure, go ahead and rage about that Gokudera…not the fact that Bel is a trained killer…_ Gokudera's priorities were a little messy, but his heart was in the right place.

"Anyways," He interrupted. "There's an abandoned facility in Japan and it was where Rokudo Mukuro was held, so I was going to check it out with him, and I wanted Yamamoto and Hibari-san to come-,"

"Not me?" Gokudera said, giving Tsuna a wide eyed look. Tsuna's eyes widened at the lost puppy aura that the bomber was giving off.

"Gokudera-kun…it's not that I don't want you to come along, but the Varia do not know that I'm aiming for Vongola Decimo or that I'm the current candidate's brother and it would not be good if they found out. People know you have a connection to Iey-kun and if Bel recognized you he could trace it back to Iey-kun and me…"

"And that would sort of put a damper on your friendship, huh?" Yamamoto realized. Tsuna nodded meekly.

"And Xanxus might kill me for it, so there's that too." He said in a small voice. Gokudera's eyes widened.

"I UNDERSTAND, JYUUDAIME! I SHALL NOT BETRAY YOUR TRUST AND HELP BY STAYING HOME!" Tsuna smiled at Gokudera.

"Didn't you say it was abandoned?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna nodded. "So we probably won't run into any danger, right?" Tsuna nodded again. Yamamoto grinned at Gokudera. "See! We'll be fine!"

"Shut up, pervert."

"Well, actually, we never asked Hibari, so, Hibari, you up for it?" Hibari gave a narrow-eyed glare to Yamamoto.

"In order to destroy Rokudo Mukuro." Hibari seethed. He practically glowed with hate. Tsuna sweatdropped again.

XXXX

Yamamoto didn't really know what to think when Ieyoshi came up to him at school, and apologized.

Normally, he would hardly even talk to the boy, but Ieyoshi seemed really sincere. Yamamoto didn't believe his apology 100%, nor did he think he would forgive the "previously" hateful boy, but he figured that Tsuna would be happy if he at least tried to get along with Ieyoshi. Maybe Ieyoshi wasn't actually that bad. Maybe he had a problem and that was why he had been so desperate, other than just being a terrible person.

So Yamamoto wasn't sure what to think, but for his best friend's sake, he would at least follow this through, to make sure that Ieyoshi wasn't plotting anything.

"Yamamoto, once again, I'm really sorry, I've just been under so much stress, I never should have done or said anything like that but everything has just been making me so crazy…." Ieyoshi paused. "I don't really have a lot of time to talk, so do you mind meeting up with me outside of school just to talk?" Yamamoto paused. _For Tsuna's safety and happiness_, he reminded himself.

"Okay. Where?" Ieyoshi told Yamamoto about Reborn's training ground, and Yamamoto nodded.

"Afterschool?" Ieyoshi asked. Yamamoto nodded.

"I have time afterschool." Ieyoshi's mouth quirked into a small smile. At that time, the swordsman could see how Tsuna and Ieyoshi were related- the way they began to smile, and the same way their eyes lit up when they did. The nervous way they bit their lip sometimes when they did, and the twisting, wringing hands that they sometimes brought up to press to their lips when they didn't have anything else to do with their hands. The way they both bounced their left leg when they didn't really think about it. But Yamamoto liked Tsuna's little tendencies a whole lot more than Ieyoshi's. Ieyoshi's were cocky, if that was possible. They were pointed and irritated and in your face, while Tsuna's were nervous and shy and embarrassed. It was far cuter.

"Good. I'm really sorry Yamamoto. And I would go apologize to Gokudera and Hibari, but they're kind of…unapproachable."

"Yeah, I see how that would be a problem." Yamamoto said absent mindedly.

"I'll see you later." Ieyoshi said, before walking off. Gokudera, who had observed most of the exchange, came up to Yamamoto.

"What was that about?" He asked suspiciously. Yamamoto shrugged.

"Says he wants to talk afterschool and that he's sorry for all he's done." Gokudera scowled.

"I don't believe him." Yamamoto shrugged again.

"I don't either. I'm meeting up with him afterschool."

"I'm going to come."

"Bring Hibari too. Ieyoshi might be planning to hurt Tsuna."

"Got it." The two of them split up in different directions.

XXXX

Afterschool, when they met up in the little valley area of a training arena, they met up with Ieyoshi. Hibari and Gokudera glared at him with barely contained anger, while Yamamoto tried to remain as approachable as possible, even though he really didn't like Ieyoshi. Ieyoshi walked forward, an apologetic look on his face.

"Thanks for meeting me here, I'm glad you all came."

"Glad to be here." Gokudera said through gritted teeth.

"I'll bite you to death." Hibari hissed.

"It's just that I wanted to explain my actions towards my brother and apologize."

"You can never make up for that." Yamamoto immediately spat out angrily. Ieyoshi looked at them solemnly.

"I know, but I want to try, alright? I guess I'll just start from the most recent….I never should have said those sort of things to him. It's just that….Dad doesn't really love either of us, and I've been under so much pressure, and I just wanted a way to make myself feel better. I know that doesn't make it okay, but I felt like I had to say something about it. And the thing about Mom…there's just no excuse for it."

"You're damn right there isn't." Gokudera said furiously. Ieyoshi winced, and clasped his hands nervously.

"I know, it's just that it's-," In half a second, he whipped a gun out and pressed it to Yamamoto's forehead. Hibari already had his tonfas out, but they couldn't do anything. Yamamoto's eyes widened. "ridiculous that you actually fell for this." Ieyoshi snarled.

"YOU BASTARD!" Gokudera yelled, gripping his dynamite. Hibari looked at Ieyoshi silently, eyes narrowing. Yamamoto just gave Ieyoshi a solemn, quiet look without saying anything, portraying his disappointment. There was a small gasp, and everyone glanced to the right (well, left in Ieyoshi's case) to see Tsuna standing at the edge of the woods, eyes wide. Even Ieyoshi looked a little surprised.

And things escalated from there.

Tsuna didn't hesitate to attack Ieyoshi, forcing him back from his friends. He dodged Ieyoshi's blindly fired shot, and all four of them moved in to attack, trying to dodge the blind shots. Through the explosions and gunshots, it was getting hard to see, since dust was being blown everywhere. Ieyoshi managed to evade them, but he wouldn't be able to for long.

"Reborn!" Fon exclaimed as he hopped onto the branch Reborn was sitting on, stroking his Leon gun.

"Yes, Fon?" He asked calmly.

"That is what you left those bullets for! These children could be seriously hurt!" Fon was beginning to look a little angry. To Fon, they were all just children and he didn't approve of children being hurt, even though he had to unhappily admit that Tsuna would probably face hardships for the rest of his childhood. But what made him angry was that Reborn had planned this. Reborn shrugged and took out a towel, beginning to clean his Leon gun.

"Don't worry, Fon. Those are Dying Will bullets. The worst thing they could do is put someone in Dying Will mode." Reborn assured him. "I'm not going to purposefully put them in a situation I can't control." Fon's eyes widened a little, and he sighed in relief.

"I was very worried for their safety." He admitted, and took a seat on the branch next to Reborn. "What is the purpose of this?" He asked Reborn.

"To unlock Tsuna's potential and prepare him." And Fon figured that was the best answer he was going to get for now. So they turned back to watching the fight.

Gokudera had unleashed his perfected triple bomb from Hell on Ieyoshi, and unfortunately, that meant a lot of dust everywhere. Gokudera's eyes were watering as he coughed into his sleeve, Yamamoto was handling it pretty well, Hibari wasn't coughing out of sheer willpower, but Tsuna's tiny frame was being wracked by powerful coughs. Yamamoto reached out to touch Tsuna's shoulder as he blinked dust from his eyes, which was beginning to clear. As he did, he could see a figure with a gun, pointing straight at Tsuna. His eyes widened, and he shoved his best friend out of the way, getting in front of him, just as the shot was fired.

Tsuna hit the ground, and his head snapped up immediately as he did, hearing the shot. The dust was clear, so that he could see the sky now, and Yamamoto clearly. Everyone was frozen in place, as they looked to Yamamoto, who was inhumanly still.

"Yamamoto-," Tsuna started to choke out, when he saw the blood start to gush from the bullet wound. Yamamoto went down. Tsuna sprang off the ground. "YAMAMOTO!" He managed to half catch his best friend to set him down on the ground gently. Yamamoto coughed, covering his hand with his mouth, and some blood came out with it. Tsuna's eyes widened, as he supported Yamamoto's head in his lap, and with his hands. The swordsman gave a light smile to Tsuna.

"Hey." He croaked out. "Looks like I got myself injured." Panicked and unable to form a coherent thought, Tsuna checked the wound frantically, careful not to touch it. Tsuna wasn't an expert on bullet wounds or anything, but for CHRIST'S SAKE IT WAS A FUCKING BULLET WOUND. The unexplainable heat rose in his throat, choking out any words that would have formed and all sensible thoughts. His best friend was injured. Because of him. Because of his goddamned brother. Because his brother wanted to hurt him. Because of _him._ And now Yamamoto was injured, and Tsuna had no idea how badly. He literally trembled with anger.

He hung his head, still holding Yamamoto's head up, and everyone's eyes widened as the dark, bloody aura formed around their meek, shy, friend.

Reborn was practically standing up on the branch, eyes wide.

"But they were all Dying Will bullets…the entire table was all Dying Will bullets….they can't be hurt like this…Yamamoto shouldn't…" Reborn was freaking out. He was sure that he had left only Dying Will bullets on the table. Never more sure about anything in his life. He took a deep breath. "No one was supposed to…" He whispered. Ieyoshi must have gotten more bullets from somewhere else. Why hadn't Reborn considered that?

Goddamn it. He made a mistake. It had been a while but the shame and terror that came with it were all too familiar.

"I'll go…fix this." He said quietly, getting ready to hop down from the branch. But Fon stopped him. He looked up at his old friend. "What?" He snapped. Fon shook his head solemnly.

"You don't want to get involved right now."

"Why not?" He demanded.

"Look at Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna motioned for Gokudera to come closer, which Gokudera did, albeit a little frightened at the dark aura surrounding the normally sweet boy.

"Hold his head." Tsuna whispered hoarsely. "And don't get in my way." He traded off supporting Yamamoto's head in a second, while Yamamoto tried to protest, but was ignored. Both Hibari and Gokudera were unwilling to get in the angry boy's way, so they all simply watched as Tsuna stalked angrily towards his brother.

Ieyoshi was finally a little frightened of Tsuna.

Ieyoshi held up the gun, as if to fend Tsuna off.

"Stay back." He demanded, backing up a little and cocking the gun. "I'll fucking shoot you." Tsuna kept walking towards him, his face not visible to any of them. "BACK UP." Ieyoshi ordered, but he was losing ground, fast. And literally. "STAY AWAY!" He fired, but missed. Tsuna's path didn't alter in any way. "BACK THE FUCK UP!" Tsuna paused where he was, and looked up at his brother, and Ieyoshi was stunned by the dark look in his brother's eyes.

He was struck by the odd thought that maybe he wasn't the only one who could be cruel.

Tsuna opened his mouth, and let out a blood-curdling scream of anger, before he was completely engulfed in a column of Sky flames, that shot forty feet in the air. The sheer shockwave of it threw Ieyoshi back several feet. Yamamoto and Gokudera freaked out, with Yamamoto literally sitting up and trying to get to his feet, while Gokudera clearly wanted to go running after Tsuna. Reborn hopped down by the three of them though, and stopped them.

"Don't go after him. He's got this handled."

"Tsuna just exploded into a column of flame!" Yamamoto shrieked. Reborn shook his head.

"Do you remember the flame you saw on his forehead that time?" Yamamoto nodded frantically, looking back to the possible fiery doom of his best friend. "This is the same as it was then; these are called Dying Will flames. Tsuna has a lot of them; far more than most people. It's in his blood, in his heart, and he's suited for this. But when he was a child, it was so dangerous for him to have this many flames, because he could access them at will. But he was a child. A single temper tantrum could burn down half of Namimori-," Cue sarcastic snort from Hibari, and the mutter of, _I doubt that._ "- and we just couldn't let him go on like that. So when he was very little, Nono sealed his flames. But for so many flames to be sealed….they've been bursting out all his life. When it appeared that he was dead at that time, externally, yes. But his flame is that last spark of life and it was still sealed away and burning in him. It was enough for him to live off of. Yamamoto's screaming for Tsuna reached him, and brought just enough of that flame forward to help him survive. But once a seal has been broken like that, it just doesn't go back to the way it was. His flames have been bleeding through the cracks ever since, and now, it has just broken. I thought we would need to hit him with a Dying Will bullet for this, possibly even numerous times, but I guess Tsuna has a Dying Will like no other." Reborn observed. "I just hope this doesn't kill him." He glanced at Yamamoto. "By the way, how're you feeling?" Yamamoto grinned, a little bit of blood dripping out of his mouth.

"Just dandy." Reborn inspected the wound.

"Didn't hit anything vital. You're not critical. You'll be fine." They all looked back to Tsuna. The column of flame was diminishing, until it dissipated, showing the scorched ground around him. There was Tsuna, standing tall (or short, in fact), seemingly unharmed. He twisted around to view his friends, and Yamamoto found himself taking in a sharp breath at his friend's narrowed, serious, calm, logical eyes. A flame flickered on his forehead, and Tsuna's hair seemed darker than ever before against his pale skin. It had also grown a little longer since Lambo's fashion advice and didn't stick up as much as it did before. Tsuna's eyes glowed the color of the flames that burned on his forehead. Reborn grinned.

"Hyper Dying Will mode. Very nice, Tsuna. I guess you are the gifted one after all." Tsuna turned back around to see his twin, who was lying on the ground, supported by his elbows, trembling in fear. Ieyoshi fired a shot at him, which hit Tsuna square in the shoulder, but the boy didn't even take a step back. In fact, flames just began to _pour_ off of Tsuna, who suddenly disappeared into thin air with a huge boom. It took them all a moment to realize that he was moving so fast he had broken the sound barrier. He appeared behind Ieyoshi, and grabbed him by the collar, hauling him up with incredible strength. From every pore, flames emanated, even on his hands. The way Tsuna's dark hair set his face apart from the wall of flames surrounding him made him look like some sort of fiery demon.

"DON'T KILL ME!" Ieyoshi screamed.

"I didn't know this was possible." Reborn said quietly.

"HE JUST FUCKING SHOT JYUUDAIME!" Gokudera shrieked angrily. Reborn didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what happened when you shot someone with a Dying Will bullet who was already in Hyper Dying Will mode, who also had no regrets. What the hell was going to happen to Tsuna? It already seemed like he was being forced a step farther and-

There it was. The change.

Instead of just Sky flames, every type of flame, every color, was practically dripping from Tsuna and filling the area, spreading and dancing around him and Ieyoshi, who was shrieking in terror. Reborn could see how that was possible- theoretically, any flame user had the possibility to use very other flame; they just didn't have the wave for it, but there _were _ways to wield them. So if someone was being forced beyond Hyper Dying Will…why use just one flame?

They all started to ice over to, crackling, and glittering dangerously, heading for Ieyoshi. Ieyoshi screamed and struggled as his collar iced over. Holy shit, this was Zero Point Breakthrough.

They watched as Tsuna threw Ieyoshi out of the icing flames. Ieyoshi skinned his face agains the ground, but was relatively unharmed. Meanwhile, Tsuna had the gun in his hand, and it was _melting_. The _ice_ was melting it.

All of a sudden, every flame disappeared, every bit of ice, and Tsuna collapsed to the ground.

"TSUNA!" Yamamoto screamed.

XXXX

So many late hours.

And panic.

Trying to keep the flame damage from killing Tsuna.

That was the danger about Hyper Dying Will mode- it pushed you beyond your limits. The removal of the internal limiters would cause excruciating pain later. But Reborn had assumed that since Tsuna was already pretty acclimatized towards it, being shot with a Dying Will bullet from Ieyoshi would just finish up hardening his body against it. But that wasn't how it happened and instead, Tsuna, already in Hyper Dying Will mode, had been pushed beyond his limits, and it was just not safe.

Shamal did all of it, worried for Tsuna.

Yamamoto was already almost healed, from the power of Sun flames that Reborn used.

It was about a week in the hospital, in and out of surgery, Tsuna unconscious as they tried to make him strong enough to stand emanating all of those flames.

Finally, as the week drew to a close, Shamal delivered the news they all wanted to hear.

"He'll be fine. And not only that, but now he's strong enough to withstand almost any amount of damage he takes and he can enter Hyper Dying Will mode easily. He may even be able to enter that third mode, but I'm not testing that one out. He just needs to sleep for a little, he'll be sore and tired for a week or two, and then he'll be fine. Actually, he was never really that injured anyways. It was just general stress on his body. The thing that I had the most trouble with was his old injuries that never one hundred percent healed and his malnourishment. He needs to eat a lot more."


	15. Chapter 15

So I believe the song in this is Lakehouse by Of Monsters and Men but it's really late for me and I'm not really bothering to check. I will later when I've had enough sleep but let me know if you remember, okay?

Enjoy!

XXXX

Tsuna woke up in about a day after that, curious as to where he was. When his friends were let in to see him, they rushed in enthusiastically (except for Hibari. Enthusiasm isn't a part of his vocabulary), and Gokudera and Yamamoto babbled over Tsuna, how cool he was, how fine Yamamoto was, and how dead Ieyoshi was going to be. Tsuna was just really relieved that he hadn't set a date with Bel yet to investigate the Estraneo facility.

"I'm alright guys, I promise." He said, his voice hoarse. They talked for a little bit longer, before the open door, laughter, and beatings courtesy of Hibari attracted the attention of a girl passing by. Kyoko poked her head into the hospital room, gasping.

"Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko cried out. Tsuna blinked in response, surprised to see her there as well. She clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh! I had no idea you were here! You look awful! Are you okay?!" Tsuna nodded, but gave Yamamoto a hurt, sort of confused expression.

_I don't really look that awful, do I?_ Yamamoto snorted.

"You look fine, Tuna." In fact, Tsuna really didn't look that good, but that was mostly just from being unconscious for a week and the stress on his body. He was frail, with a hollow look to his face, mainly because he was malnourished to begin with, he had burnt up a ton of energy, and a feeding tube wasn't the way to get your nourishment. But Tsuna didn't look _that bad_ either.

"What happened?" Kyoko fussed over him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"He fell down the stairs." Hibari said flatly, and Kyoko seemed to understand from his tone that she was annoying him with her incessant squeaky fussing. Or at least that was how he heard it.

"That must have been some fall, Tsuna-kun!"

"He hit his head really hard and was unconscious for a few days." Yamamoto chipped in, way too cheerfully than he should have been. Kyoko clapped her hands to her mouth again.

"Oh! Are you okay?"

_I'm fine._

"I'm so relieved! I hope you feel better, Tsuna-kun! I can't believe both you and Onii-san are in the hospital." Tsuna immediately zeroed in on that.

_What?_ She waved her hand dismissively, a sad look in her eyes.

"He was attacked the other day, and is recovering." Tsuna's Hyper Intuition, feeling more intense than ever, told him to check it out.

"Is he alright?" Tsuna asked softly. "Can I see him?"

"Tuna, I don't think that's such a good idea-,"

"Jyuudaime needs his rest you stupid bit-," Yamamoto clapped a hand over Gokudera's mouth.

"No." Hibari portrayed his disapproval of the idea, and that was enough for him.

"You did just wake up, Tsuna. You shouldn't be walking around. You can always visit him tomorrow and we can go see him for you to tell you how he is." Yamamoto offered. Kyoko blinked.

"Oh, Tsuna-kun, that's really sweet of you, but Yamamoto-kun is right. You should rest."

_I can take a wheelchair._ Tsuna offered to Yamamoto.

"But Tsuna, you really should rest-," Yamamoto paused at the look in Tsuna's eyes.

_This might have something to do with Rokudo._ Then Tsuna visiting Ryohei might be vital.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Tsuna nodded. Yamamoto stood up.

"We're going to visit Ryohei! All of us! And quickly, before Shamal catches us sneaking his patient out!"

So that was sort of an explanation to how Yamamoto ended up wheeling Tsuna down the hallway at breakneck speed, with Kyoko struggling to keep up, Gokudera lagging behind in order to threaten Yamamoto with dynamite if he crashed Tsuna, and Hibari glaring threateningly at people who came too close.

When they arrived in Ryohei's room, Hibari sensibly stayed outside, so he wouldn't have to listen to Ryohei yell about how he EXTREMELY didn't know that Tsuna was EXTREMELY in the hospital, and if he was EXTREMELY okay.

For the most part, Ryohei seemed okay. He was just a little banged up, but as enthusiastic as ever. After a short conversation with Ryohei, in which Yamamoto distracted Kyoko so Tsuna could question Ryohei about who attacked him, they let Ryohei rest and returned to the room with a note.

Once Yamamoto made sure his friend was all settled in the bed, he read the note out loud.

"Number 5. We will be coming for Number 4 next." Gokudera snarled.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Doesn't matter, since I will be biting Rokudo Mukuro to death." Hibari seethed. Even the thought of it was getting Hibari really angry. And they hadn't even met the guy yet. It took them a few moments of debating over what that could mean before Tsuna remembered.

Fuuta had wanted Tsuna to go over his Ranking book with him, hiding the rankings Tsuna wasn't supposed to know from him, but Tsuna saw a lot of them. There had been a few in particular that Fuuta had been proud of, and that was the ranking of the best fighters in Nami Chuu. The list flashed in Tsuna's eyes.

"The ranking of Nami Middle's best fighters." He said quietly, and everyone immediately stopped talking.

"What do you mean?" Yamamoto asked.

"Ryohei is number five on the ranking of Nami Middle's best fighters. Gokudera-kun is number four." Tsuna explained, feeling a little worried. If they were coming for number four next, what was going to happen to Gokudera? How powerful were Rokudo and his underlings? (A.N. I can't believe I did this to myself…Gokudera is number four….they're coming after number four….i'm laughing so hard I'm literally crying right now. This was so not intended.)

"I'M ONLY NUMBER FOUR? THIS IS A DISGRACE TO THE FAMIGLIA, JYUUDAIME, I SHALL CRUSH THOSE ABOVE ME AND WIN BACK YOUR APPROVAL!"

"Yamamoto, me and Hibari are above you." Tsuna added. "In that order." Hibari looked a little smug about his position.

"THEN I SHALL CRUSH THE PERVERT-IDIOT!"

"Sounds like fun!"

"Shut up herbivores, before I bite you to death. We are focusing on fighting Rokudo Mukuro to death here." Tsuna tried really hard not to laugh at that, especially since Hibari was dead serious when he said it. But he really was worried. When would they come for Gokudera?

XXXX

"So how have you EXTREMELY been, Tsuna?" Ryohei wanted to know. Tsuna was still in the hospital, but both he and Ryohei had taken to visiting each other's rooms, since there was almost nothing to do when their friends weren't around. Tsuna was still forced into a wheelchair when he was going to travel more than ten feet, so he was sitting next to Ryohei's bed in his wheelchair. Tsuna assumed that part of the reason they wanted him in the wheelchair because they thought he was way undernourished and frail, and didn't realize that he was almost back to his original state. He had always been pretty malnourished; not a lot of time to eat in mornings, forgot his lunch at home a lot, what Ieyoshi did to him, the fact that when he was badly beat up he just couldn't keep food down, and that he had grown so used to being hungry that it was almost normal to him and he never really _wanted_ to eat (A.N. this actually happens, I can speak from experience. During finals week, I had so much to do that I didn't eat like, at all, and when it was over and I was at a friend's house, my stomach was growling so loudly and I didn't even notice). Besides, he'd had a lot of things to occupy his mind, so he just sort of forgot a lot (A.N. and every blogger, writer, or artist can agree with this).

Anyways, Tsuna shrugged.

"Good. You? How are you healing up?" Ryohei pumped his fist into the air.

"Nothing can EXTREMELY keep me down for EXTREMELY long!" Tsuna smiled pleasantly. Ryohei paused. "Will Hibari EXTREMELY catch the guy that attacked me?" Tsuna nodded without hesitation.

"We're looking for him. He won't escape Hibari for long." Ryohei smiled.

"That's EXTREMELY good! Do you know who EXTREMELY attacked me?" Tsuna hesitated before answering. He had problems lying to his friends. And Ryohei was definitely a friend of his, so Tsuna wasn't sure how to answer. Apparently, he hesitated too long though, because Ryohei noticed. "You don't have to EXTREMELY tell me if you don't EXTREMELY think you should." Ryohei added, and Tsuna let out a breath. He had noticed, that while Ryohei usually didn't catch on to things, when he did, he could be pretty sensible and deep. Well, sometimes. Other times he just asked the problem to join his boxing club. They sat in silence for a moment. "Do you think this guy would join my EXTREME boxing club?" Tsuna snorted.

"Maybe." Suddenly, a sharp spike in his Hyper Intuition caused him to abruptly straighten up. Ryohei had started chatting about boxing (it was really all he ever talked about), so he didn't notice as Tsuna looked around, wondering what the problem could be. According to Reborn, since he now had access to his Dying Will flames, his Intuition was also increased. He couldn't exactly pinpoint the problem, but he felt like something was wrong. He sprang up from his wheelchair, commanding his legs not to wobble, and going over by the door. Ryohei had his own room; it was small, but it was his own room.

"Is there an EXTREME problem, Tsuna?" Ryohei wanted to know. Tsuna held a finger to his lips.

"Can you please be quiet for a moment?" He whispered. Ryohei nodded his response, watching Tsuna curiously. Tsuna flipped off the lights and stood next to the door. He wasn't really sure why he was doing it. He just had a feeling that someone dangerous was coming.

And hell, was he right.

In five minutes, Ryohei tried to talk again, and just as he was going to start speaking, the door creaked open and light poured in with the man. He was tall, dressed indiscriminately, but the shape that Tsuna recognized was the gun in his hand, even against the shadows of the room. Just as the door closed behind the man with the gun, Ryohei yelled loudly,

"WHO ARE YOU?!" The man jumped, and tried to aim the gun in the dark at the figure on the bed. Tsuna flipped the lights on, and bright light flooded the room. The man spun around to what he perceived as the more dangerous threat (since Tsuna had been waiting for him and was right behind him and not in a hospital bed) aiming the gun, but Tsuna grabbed the man's arm, and in a moment, had him disarmed and on the ground, the gun skittering away on the floor. Tsuna pressed his foot into the man's throat, causing him to make a noise like _gack!_ Ryohei blinked owlishly. "THAT WAS EXTREME!" He pumped his fist into the air. Tsuna smiled a little.

He looked down at the man, who had half his face squashed against the floor and was glaring up at Tsuna. Tsuna gave him an apologetic look before he realized he was apologizing silently to a trained killer.

"Who the hell are you?" The man demanded.

"Why are you here?" Tsuna asked quietly. The man glared up at him and refused to respond. So Tsuna really didn't know what to do. He couldn't exactly get to his phone; it was in his room. He couldn't take his foot off of the man because he couldn't let him escape. He couldn't send Ryohei. He couldn't really wait until a nurse came in. What was he supposed to?

"SNEAKING INTO A ROOM ISN'T EXTREMELY NICE." The man snarled at Ryohei in response and tried to shove Tsuna off of him, but Tsuna pushed him back down by his neck, and used his other foot to kick the gun farther away. Ryohei's head turned when it hit the wall. "DID THIS MAN EXTREMELY TRY TO KILL ME?" He wondered. Tsuna nodded, cringing a little at what he knew would come. "THAT IS NOT EXTREME AT ALL!" Ryohei certainly had a mouth on him.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" The man yelled at Ryohei from the ground. Tsuna winced at the volume. Someone was going to walk in and see…this….if both Ryohei and this man kept yelling.

"YOU SHOULDN'T SWEAR IN FRONT OF TSUNA, SPIKY-HEAD." Tsuna felt a little offended by that. He didn't know why he did, but what was wrong with swearing in front of him?

"I'LL SAY WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT."

"YOU SHOULD BE NICER, SPIKY-HEAD, THEN MAYBE TSUNA WOULDN'T HAVE EXTREMELY PINNED YOU."

"HE GOT A FUCKING LUCKY SHOT." Tsuna pushed his foot a little frantically, trying to notify the man that he should lower his voice. "GET OFF ME YOU LITTLE SHIT, I'LL TEAR YOU TO SHREDS." Tsuna winced.

"YOU SHOULD EXTREMELY LOWER YOUR VOICE." Tsuna sweatdropped. The hypocrisy of that statement completely blew him away.

"SHUT UP YOU LITTLE FREAK!" He tried to push Tsuna off of him again, but Tsuna twisted his arm that time, and the man went limp against the ground.

"THAT'S EXTREMELY NOT NICE." Tsuna was beginning to come to the conclusion that Ryohei was a figurative rock…

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!" He roared, writhing, which actually almost threw Tsuna off balance. Frightened, he twisted the man's arm hard again, and pushed against his throat, effectively shutting him up. The door to the room opened, and Kyoko and Hana poked their heads in, saying,

"I heard yelling-,"

"OH MY GOD WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Hana yelled, as the two girls came in, frantic. Tsuna's eyes widened and he tried to open his mouth to speak, but he could tell it really wasn't going to work out at the moment. He gestured as best he could at the man and then at the gun that had gone skittering across the room, trying to explain. Thankfully, Ryohei said something.

"TSUNA SAVED MY LIFE TO THE EXTREME!" Hana came over by the man suspiciously.

"Is that so?" She asked Tsuna. "From this guy?" Tsuna blushed and looked down, hiding his face.

"Thank you Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko immediately exclaimed. "But why did Onii-san need saving?" She wondered, puzzled by the thought, looking from her brother and back to the man on the ground.

"And how in the world did you take this guy down?" Hana asked Tsuna curiously. Tsuna blushed a deeper red, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. The man, who had been silent up until now, suddenly started trying to shake Tsuna off again.

"GET OFF OF ME GODDAMNIT OR I'LL FUCKING SLAUGHTER YOU!" Tsuna shook his head stubbornly and pushed the man's head back down. Kyoko looked at Tsuna, concerned.

"Should we call anyone?" Hana asked Tsuna. Tsuna nodded, a relieved expression on his face. Hana took out her phone. "Who do I need to call?" Tsuna listed off a phone number, and Hana put it on speaker phone. It was a few rings before the other line picked up.

_"Who is this?"_ Came the very familiar voice of the Nami Chuu Demon. Hana and Kyoko looked surprised about Hibari being the one Tsuna called first.

"Hibari-san, it's Tsuna. Slight, possible Rokudo Mukuro problem. Hospital. Ryohei's room." The man's head jerked up at the mention of Rokudo Mukuro. "Strike that. Very possible." There was a short pause.

_"I'll be there in five minutes."_ Hibari hung up. Tsuna glanced down at the man.

"You work for him, right?" He said softly. The man refused to respond, so Tsuna added, "Just say yes or no. You won't be in any more trouble if you say yes. The same thing will happen to you if you say no, and if you don't say no, we're assuming it's a yes." There was another short pause.

"Yes." The man said quietly, and didn't speak again. Hibari arrived quickly, and upon entering Ryohei's room, he gave the man on the ground a look of loathing, probably for his ties with Rokudo Mukuro. He took out a tonfa, knocked the man out in one strike, and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"He will be interrogated." Hibari said shortly. Tsuna darted to the other end of the room, picking up the gun. As he did, he took all the bullets out and turned the safety on, handing the gun to Hibari. He showed the bullets to Hibari.

"I'll just throw them out." He said quietly. Hibari gave a curt nod, and turned out of the room without another word. Before he left though, Ryohei yelled,

"THIS IS EXTREMELY NICE OF YOU TO HELP OUT!" Hibari narrowed his eyes at Ryohei. Quickly realizing that he asked Hibari for a lot, Tsuna tiptoed forward, and gave his sempai a quick hug.

"Thank you." He said. Hibari nodded again and left.

Hibari was really hoping no one had seen the small blush that flashed across his cheeks when Tsunayoshi hugged him. And if they had, he would bite them to death to keep them silent.

XXXX

"So, let me get this straight, this guy apparently attacked Ryohei because Rokudo was getting pissed that we didn't notice he attacked Ryohei soon enough?" Yamamoto clarified. Hibari, who was leaning against the wall, nodded. Yamamoto rubbed his jaw, before bursting out laughing. "This guy really wanted our attention." Both Gokudera and Hibari scowled. "How'd you get the guy to talk anyways?" Yamamoto asked Hibari. Hibari shrugged apathetically.

"The Disciplinary Committee has ways of making him talk." Tsuna choked.

_WHAT?! _It sounded like they…._tortured_ him.

"Interesting." Reborn said, tilting his fedora over his eyes with a smirk. "What are you doing with him now?"

"Tetsu is taking care of the body." Hibari said, with a completely straight face.

"WHAT?!" Tsuna was horrified.

"Tch. Bastard could have hurt Jyuudaime. Deserves it." Gokudera chomped on his nicotine gum angrily.

"Ma, ma, Gokudera. It's not nice to talk badly of the dead." Tsuna curled his fingers into his hair, tugging on it frantically. Hibari was kidding, right? He didn't actually- oh no. No way. No _way._ Apparently, Hibari saw Tsuna having a mini panic attack and felt pity for him, because he sighed.

"That was a joke." Tsuna fell back against his hospital bed with a breath of relief. Though he hadn't known Hibari to joke at all before. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the relief wash over him. However, he cracked them open to see Yamamoto silently ask Hibari,

_Was it?_

_ No._

"I saw that!" Tsuna squeaked out. Reborn grinned.

"Stupid Tsuna, if you ever want to be a good mafia boss, you're going to have to get used to death." Tsuna glared at Reborn, who gave him a cutesy baby smile back. He jumped down from his perch. "I'm going to go torture, I mean tutor Ieyoshi." Tsuna felt almost bad for his brother. Since he shot Yamamoto in the chest (miraculously missing anything vital), he had been under a lot of heat from Reborn and Gokudera. From Gokudera because Yamamoto's injury upsetted Tsuna, and Gokudera wouldn't stand for that. Hibari hadn't really cared, but Tsuna liked to think that if Yamamoto had died, Hibari would have been bothered by it and reacted violently. After Reborn left, Yamamoto asked,

"Hey, Tsuna, when is that thing with Bel anyways?" Tsuna shrugged.

"Next week, if you're okay with that." Yamamoto grinned.

"Schedule's clear."

XXXX

It rolled around fast; it felt like only a few days before they were leaving. Of course, since Tsuna had only been discharged from the hospital a few days before they were actually leaving for the facility, everyone kept asking him, to make sure he was okay to go. But he would just brush it off and route it back around to Yamamoto's injury, pointing out that if he wasn't ready to go, Yamamoto wasn't either.

Gokudera was kind of sour that he couldn't come, but they were only going to be away for the day. Hibari, Yamamoto and Tsuna got on a train at 5:30 A.M. and by 6:30, they were where they needed to be. Thank God they had gotten a little cabin on the train, or Hibari would have bitten everyone on that train to death. But instead, he just spent the whole time napping while Tsuna and Yamamoto failed to remember anything about poker and ended up playing Go Fish for an hour.

When they arrived in the town near to the facility, Tsuna spotted Bel and Lussuria waiting for him. Tsuna frowned at Bel as they approached. Bel shrugged.

"The Prince knows you said no more Varia, but Luss won't try to recruit you." Bel jered a thumb at Luss, who squealed and scooped Tsuna up in a hug.

"The cute little Tuna Fish is back! I could just eat you up!" Tsuna squirmed in Lussuria's bone-crushing hug. Yamamoto seemed a little surprised, having been told by Gokudera that the Varia were coldblooded, ruthless killers, but then he laughed good-naturedly. Hibari just glared at both Bel and Lussuria.

"So, Belphegor right? Why're you called Prince the Ripper?" Yamamoto asked Bel cheerfully.

"The Prince killed his entire family." He said with a grin. "And who are you?" Yamamoto didn't falter one bit.

"Yamamoto Takeshi." He held out a hand to shake, which Bel did. Bel twisted to look at Hibari.

"And who is that the Prince sees?" Hibari gave him an apathetic look.

"Hibari Kyoya. Now hurry things up, herbivore. I don't have all day." When Lussuria finally released Tsuna, Tsuna took a deep breath before turning to Bel. Bel grinned.

"Luss is driving the Prince and you to the facility." They were lead out to the parking lot, where they walked to a large, black, Hummer. When they saw it, Tsuna turned beet red in embarrassment.

_It's….THE HUMMER._ Hibari smirked at the memory of the out-of-control Hummer. Bel laughed.

"Ushiushiushi….thought you'd find it funny."

"What?" Yamamoto asked, confused. "I feel like I'm missing something." Lussuria let out a maniacal giggle.

"Don't worry, hun, I'll tell you on the way there." The rest of the cabin was silent for the entire drive out to the middle of nowhere. Lussuria just finished whispering the story to Yamamoto when he burst out yelling,

"Oh, I get it now!" Tsuna smiled a little at his friend's enthusiasm.

"So, Tsu-kun, have you considered Xan-chan's offer?" Lussuria asked Tsuna. Tsuna flushed a little, and shook his head. Between Vongola Decimo, his brother, getting shot, Rokudo Mukuro, he really didn't have time to decide between being Vongola Decimo and being part of the Varia. Maybe he actually might want to be Varia; after all, even though the rings wouldn't accept Xanxus, that didn't mean that Xanxus couldn't be a good, strong Vongola Decimo. There were just so many people under Vongola… it would frighten Tsuna to be responsible for their lives. But Varia was an independent assassination squad…the potential there was endless too.

Besides, Tsuna's pledge to fight for Vongola Decimo wasn't because he wanted to be Vongola Decimo specifically; he could help a lot of people from that position, but that wasn't the only way. The pledge came from him because he didn't want Ieyoshi to be Vongola Decimo.

"Give it some more thought." Lussuria said. "I would love to see you around more often, my cute little Tuna Fish!" Lussuria squealed.

"Ushiushiushi, the Prince agrees."

"Hey! I call him Tuna too!" Yamamoto exclaimed, and he and Lussuria high fived. Tsuna blinked owlishly. This really was proof that Yamamoto could get along with anybody. Hibari whipped his tonfas out, narrowing his eyes.

"Be quiet, herbivores, or I'll bite you to death."

"Ushiushiushi, the skylark is irritated."

_Hell yes he is, Bel, and we're all going to die if you don't stop irritating him._ Tsuna thought miserably. He knew from training experience that Hibari could make it rain Bel's blood.

"Xan-chan would really appreciate having you around." Lussuria tried to persuade Tsuna. "He won't admit it, but you would be a good influence on him." Yamamoto laughed.

"Hey, if Tsuna joined, could we join too? We couldn't let Tsuna go alone!" Yamamoto said, grinning as always, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, and in his voice, there was that clear undertone of, _If you say no, I'll fucking cut you._

"The Prince thinks you have potential." Bel said decidedly. Soon, they pulled up to field. There was a house, and a weird barn not that far away, but it looked empty and abandoned. They had to park in the grass, but it seemed like Bel and Lussuria were prepared for this. All five of them climbed out of the vehicle and Hibari crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the shack.

"What is this supposed to be, herbivore?" He asked, sounding annoyed. Bel grinned.

"The Prince thinks you should see yourself." They followed Bel into the barn. As they did, Bel explained. "The Prince read that there was another underground way to get here but it is blocked off now." Bel went to the corner, where it seemed like there used to be stalls for animals. He sifted through old straw and hay and pulled open a giant hatch that led downwards. The barn was all wood, but the moment the hatch was open, it was all sleek metal from there on. Yamamoto let out a low whistle. You had to jump down to a platform, where it seemed stairs led you down from there. Bel jumped down first, and pulled out a flashlight, illuminating the hole in the ground. Tsuna peered down next, but the jump was too far for him. He was only five feet and an inch tall, and that jump was at least double his height. He had training for this, but it was hard metal, not soft grass and ground.

It had been different jumping from his balcony; hanging from his hands from the bottom of his balcony, it was really only about four feet to land. Now was different. Yamamoto seemed to notice the problem, and laughed.

"Don't worry Tuna, we'll go down first and help you down."

"I'll go last in case someone follows us." Lussuria volunteered, but Tsuna noticed the flirty tone he used and how his eyes had been glued to Tsuna's butt. But Lussuria was nice enough and at least Tsuna was sure that he wasn't a rapist. Yamamoto jumped down next, and then Hibari. Tsuna sat down, hanging his feet over the edge of the hole, fingers curled around the edge. Yamamoto moved over to help Tsuna down, but Tsuna had seen him wince once or twice from his injury, even though it was mostly healed. He didn't want to cause Yamamoto any more trouble, so he looked at Hibari, and tilted his head a little.

_Help me?_ Hibari had probably noticed too, because he nodded, and moved forward, close to Tsuna's feet. Tsuna stretched forward enough so that he could push himself off and gently slide down to Hibari, who helped set him on the ground. Lussuria followed next, squealing about something. He went over to Yamamoto, and hit him on the arm, whispering something to him. Yamamoto nodded fervently and made gestures enthusiastically. Tsuna tapped Yamamoto's arm, giving him a curious look.

_What?_ Yamamoto shook his head, grinning.

"Oh, nothing."

"SO CUTE TOGETH-," Lussuria started to shriek, but cut himself off, lapsing into squeals. He and Yamamoto seemed to speak the language of fangirl.

"The Prince thinks that we should get going." Bel offered, and Tsuna nodded. They followed Bel down the stairs, with Yamamoto and Lussuria shrieking about something wordlessly in the back.

"Is there any evidence that these Vindice shut Estraneo down because they thought they might outwit them?" Hibari asked Belphegor. Bel nodded, grinning.

"Bloody evidence."

After going down several staircases, they found a large hallway. There were security doors, but they were all broken and mangled, leaving it easy to walk through. Yamamoto raised his eyebrows as they walked through the broken, abandoned facility.

"They really tore this place apart. Do we even expect to find anything here?" Tsuna shrugged.

_It's worth a shot._ The final door was completely blown away, so they walked through it, and into the dark, cavernous Estraneo facility. There were screens, computers, desks everywhere. Wiring hung out of some of the walls where the Vindice had tore the place up. Old papers scattered on the ground, but when Tsuna picked them up, he could tell they were anything important. Otherwise the Vindice would have torched the place. They all wandered around the giant area, looking for places people might have been held. A few hallways led to even bigger areas, sometimes dorms for the scientists that worked there constantly, but nothing important. Yamamoto and Lussuria were exploring, while Hibari searched through some of the cabinets for files (he was good with paperwork so he would understand the files) and Bel tried to fire up the computers and anything digital. He seemed to be having some luck with opening up one computer, but he had a few firewalls to break through before he could even look for things.

Tsuna explored the place on his own. While he was wandering around the room and touching one of the walls, his fingers hit a seam, that felt familiar. He turned to look at it. There was really nothing next to it, becaue it was one of the places where the wall had been tore open, and all sorts of things were hanging out, mostly obscured by thick wiring and insulation. Tsuna really couldn't see it all well, so curious, he ran his fingers into the mess, only to prick them on the sharp metal of the open wall. He yanked his hand back. Some of his fingers bled.

But curious, he put his hand back in, and found that his hand went through a hole. He had sort of assumed that the Vindice hadn't torn the entire wall down; the other side was probably just dirt and ground. But no; his hand didn't hit the inside of a wall or anything. It just kept going. He glanced around for a moment, before sneaking in through the wiring. He had to brush a lot of things aside, and take baby steps, lest trip over something, but he crept inside the wall. Once it felt like he was past a lot of the mess, he took out his flashlight, and turned it on.

The area he was standing in was big; and completely dark. It was almost completely obscured from view, because it was also part of the corner of the wall. Just cleverly enough hidden that no one would see it. It seemed mostly empty, but Tsuna shuffled over by one edge of the area, reaching out to touch the wall. It was solid. He stumbled around, flashing his light on everything, but didn't see much- no, there was something in the ground. He saw it. He bent down, running his fingers over the floor. He quickly found the edge of some sort of hatch, much like the one upstairs. He searched for the side to open it from, and eventually found it. Just as he opened it, there was a noise from the wall. He glanced up, and flashed his light at the wall in front of him. He walked around the large hatch, to touch the wall. He ran his fingers over it, and tripping a little over a wire, he pushed the wall. Just slightly, but there was a loud clicking noise emanating from the hole. Tsuna glanced down, shining a flashlight into the hatch. Previously, it had seemed like there was just a hole and that was all, and it didn't go anywhere. But now, the bottom of the hatch was gone, revealing another staircase. Tsuna's eyes widened.

(A.N. the little mechanism in the wall opens up the secret passage, but no one would hear it except now because it's been abandoned and out of maintenance and allowed to rust and stuff)

Glancing around, he jumped inside the hole, which was considerably smaller than the one before. He landed on the platform of the staircase, and shined his light back up. Yeah, he could get up if he needed to. But he wanted to see this through. He would stop before he got too far and go back for the others.

He followed the staircase down a flight or two, before he saw a light emanating from a window in a door. He rushed to the door, flung it open, and found himself in a bright, well-lit hallway. He looked up and down the hallway, searching for cameras or a person, before he darted out and ran back up the stairs. So Bel had been right. Estraneo wasn't completely dead. Tsuna rushed up, back through the hole in the wall, and smacked his flashlight against a metal desk to call attention. Yamamoto and Lussuria poked their heads out from hallways, Hibari looked up from a file, and Bel turned around from his computer.

"What is it?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna gestured for them to come by him. All four of them walked over, and Tsuna grabbed Yamamoto's hand, and led him through the wall. The rest followed, curious, because they hadn't really noticed. They illuminated the giant hole with their flashlights, watching as Tsuna jumped down and motioned for them to follow. "What did you find?" Tsuna looked up at Yamamoto with solemn eyes, and shook his head.

_Something not good._ Yamamoto pulled out his Shigure Kintoki and got in front of Tsuna.

"Then I'll go down first. Just in case." They walked down the stairs, and when they were halfway down, there was the sound of footsteps in the bright hallway Tsuna had seen. With an assassin's instinct, Yamamoto's sword tilted in his hand and the bamboo covering dissolved immediately, to show the sharp blade underneath. After waiting a moment, they all followed Yamamoto silently down the stairs. When he opened the doorway to the hallway, he immediately guarded one end and Hibari slipped out to watch the other, seeing as there were doors on each end.

Tsuna's eyes were drawn to the elevator in the middle of the hallway. It clearly only went down, so that meant that there was more than this. It was kind of clever, Tsuna thought. Vindice had already raided the Estraneo facility above, so they must have built this one underneath in case that ever happened. And now they were using the further underground facility at one that had already been abandoned. No one thought they would be here.

Bel walked forward to the elevator, and pushed the down button. Tsuna immediately grabbed his arm.

_What are you doing?!_ Bel shrugged.

"The Prince is curious, and besides, the Prince and you were looking for a way to find out more about the Estraneo. What better way than the actual source?"

"Besides," Lussuria added. "I hate to worry you, Tuna Fish, but Vongola was ordered to clear out Estraneo where we find them. Varia is loosely connected to Vongola, but technically still under Vongola rule."

_But we're not prepared for an attack or anything…_

"Relax, Tsuna." Yamamoto put a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "We make a perfect assault team. Bel and Hibari are suited to getting rid of large groups of people at a time, Lussuria is good for defence, I can take care of anyone in close combat, and you can too." Tsuna's hand automatically touched the gun in a holster, strapped to his body underneath his shirt. It was perfectly hidden, but quick access if he needed it. His stomach dropped at the term, "getting rid of".

The elevator opened and Bel stepped in.

"The Prince thinks it's now or never." Lussuria followed Bel inside the elevator, looking strangely serious. Tsuna sighed. Well, he wanted to stop the Estraneo, didn't he? Granted, not like this, but how else? So he slipped inside the elevator. Hibari and Yamamoto followed, weapons still ready.

The elevator music kind of killed the mood.

"I sort of thought they would have something dramatic playing." Yamamoto finally said after a few seconds.

"Like, I don't know, horror movie music." Lussuria added.

"Not Bohemian Rhapsody." Yamamoto agreed. After a few more seconds, both could be heard muttering, "Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo," Under their breath. Tsuna suppressed a laugh, and instead, forced himself to take a deep breath and concentrate on the situation.

When the elevator opened, two guards turned from the sides, asking,

"ID please-," They were unconscious in a short fluffy of movement from Hibari, slumped against the ground, blood spattered on their face. Tsuna blinked in shock. They were in another hallway, except it only led to the right. So that's where they went, running down the hall, because it felt awkward to walk when you were about to attack.

Bel and Lussuria burst in the doors first, with Bel shrieking,

"THE PRINCE HAS ARRIVED!" it was another large room, like the one upstairs, except this one was filled with people, and functioning things. Everyone immediately sprang up from their seats, grabbing information and running off, while an alarm started to go off and lights flashed. Guards rushed from every direction, and it became a mass of people, everyone attacking anyone that wasn't on their side.

Tsuna himself was soon engaged in combat with three men with guns. He ducked under the first man's machine gun, stepping into their personal space and hitting the inside of their leg, putting them off balance, before flinging them, and their gun into the second guard. The third tried to shoot at Tsuna, who simply kicked the gun up from the bottom, slamming it into the man's face hard enough to knock him unconscious. The second one had only been knocked over, not really taken down, so he climbed to his feet and lunged at Tsuna, firing his gun. Tsuna swerved to the side, and used his small size to get inside his personal space, punching him in the jaw, hard. The man stumbled back, giving Tsuna the opportunity to deliver a roundhouse kick to the face, effectively knocking him out.

The first one tried to shoot at Tsuna too, but Tsuna just whipped out his own gun, twisted it in his hand so he had the butt of the gun facing out, and flipped the man, slamming the gun into his head and smacking him unconscious. Tsuna stepped back from the three unconscious men, breathing heavily. He was lucky, in a way. These three guys weren't skiled beyond shooting a gun and frightening prisoners, and clearly had no experience fighting someone with skill in martial arts and someone smaller than them. Fighting someone smaller than you required you to change your tactics entirely, and it made it harder to keep your guard up, especially when the person was small enough to just duck under it. Thankfully, for Tsuna, he was for most people, and startling people by getting inside their personal space made it easy to take them down.

Meanwhile, Yamamoto had a group of men to fight. Personally, he thought he was doing pretty well, because he found it quite easy to fight men with guns with only a sword. It was easy to hit their guns with his sword and strike it out of their hands before they fired, and most of them sprinted away before he could attack them any further, because he had a blade and they did not. It was pretty easy, until he attacked one guard, knocked his gun away, and was quickly blocked by another blade. He took a step back to review the situation.

The guard in front of him was smirking, a long katana in his hand, blade held ready.

"Try to beat this, ya stupid kid." The man charged, and Yamamoto blocked, before stepping back, side stepping, and countering with a slash. The other swordsman met the teen's slash with his own. Yamamoto parried and grinded the blade up his opponents, getting very close to the man, before he jumped back, and attacked from underneath, literally almost hitting Yamamoto in the leg. Yamamoto slashed his own blade down, blocking, and when the other man drew his blade back, Yamamoto forced it up from underneath, stepped forward, and slashed him across the chest. The man gasped, and stumbled back, one hand going to his chest, as Yamamoto attacked furiously. The man managed to block the first attack, but not the second, and he was slashed in the shoulder because of it. The third attack caught the man in the leg, forcing him to the ground.

Yamamoto paused, contemplating attacking the man, but decided it just wasn't nice to hit someone when they were down, and shifted his sword in his hand. He struck the man in the head with the hilt of his sword, and knocked him out.

He took a step back, to view who else needed his help, but Hibari was attacking people left and right, roaring something about crowding herbivores, Bel was reveling in the sight of blood, and Lussuria was knocking people out, apologizing as he did. Yamamoto glanced around to see Tsuna handling himself just fine, and searched for a new opponent.

Suddenly, a sharp pain started from the center of his back, and he cried out in agony as he felt a sharp blade. The next thing he knew, he was on his knees in blinding pain, looking at the tip of a sword protruding from his chest. He tried to turn to see who had done this, but just cried out in pain again, and fell onto his hands and knees. His attacker walked beside him, and Yamamoto looked up through hazy vision to see a tall man in a lab coat, with glasses, grinning.

"As long as you feel it, it's real, aye?" And then the pain was gone, and so was the sword, and Yamamoto gasped, air hitting his lungs hard. He glanced down at his chest. No sword. No wound. No pain. It was like it had never even been there. Even the man wasn't where he had been. Oh, he was real alright; Yamamoto spotted him sitting on a desk with a machine gun in his hands, an apathetic look in his eyes. But he sure as hell wasn't next to Yamamoto, jamming a sword in his back. Yamamoto scrambled to his feet, snatching up his sword. He faced the man, eyes narrowed.

"I'm not sure how you did that, but you're not going to fool me again." The man snorted.

"Oh, it was very real, child. Whatever the mind perceives as real, _is _real." Yamamoto picked up on it immediately. It was the words mind and perceive that gave it away. From what Tsuna had told him about Estraneo, they had a specialty in messing with your head. So that sword- it must have been some sort of illusion, right? It couldn't have been an actual sword, or Yamamoto would never come out unscathed. Yamamoto settled into a ready position.

"Two can play at that game." He whispered, so the man couldn't hear him. He had an idea of what to use, didn't think he could have it perfect for this, but it sort of felt like a do or die situation. The man rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"I'm sure you'll provide some excellent data." He held up a voice recorder. "Project 683: Test Subject 69 Attack. Person A has experienced and perceived attack as real. Running test number two-," Yamamoto rushed forward, attacking furiously. He was blocked with the gun, and the scientist rolled over the table, dodging him. Yamamoto flipped his blade in his hand, whispered to himself,

"Shigure Souen; Offense Style. Form nine." It was like how he practiced, running the drills for every style with his dad. He could do it, right? He could manage this simple attack. If Tsuna could shoot forty feet of flames from his body, Yamamoto could do this much. He felt a sharp pain pierce his side, and let out another cry of pain, before he steadied himself, and forced himself to ignore the blade at his side.

_It's not real, it's not real, it's not real…_With that reminder, the blade seemed to dull a little, the pain faded a little, still there, but manageable. Yamamoto gritted his teeth, and spun around to see the scientist watching with interest. He held up the voice recorder.

"It seems that Person A has become able to dispel illusion to an extent now that he is aware of the nature of the attack. Will run test three-," Yamamoto grabbed a chair, and flung it at the scientist, before backing up into a group of men that Hibari was fighting. "BUT I HAVEN'T FINISHED MY TEST!" Yamamoto almost bumped into Hibari, who was angrily dodging and attacking the men.

"Leave me alone to fight, herbivore!" Hibari growled. He clearly didn't like _anyone_ intruding on his territory.

"Don't worry;" Yamamoto whispered, dodging and tripping one guard. They were all sort of swarming around Hibari, trying to get a crack at the "cocky kid with the tonfas". Yamamoto could see why they thought Hibari was cocky. He could sound pretty pretentious with all his talk of herbivores and carnivores. Hibari growled at seeing Yamamoto take out one of his opponents. "I'm just distracting the scientist I was fighting." Yamamoto rushed out the crowd, using his attack as he rushed at the scientist from behind.

"I see you!" The scientist shouted, upon seeing Yamamoto standing in front of him. He held up the recorder. "Test three commence." The illusionary sword headed at a breakneck speed for Yamamoto's neck, whose eyes widened. If he died in his mind, would he die in real life?

Fortunately, the real Yamamoto was given an opportunity to slash the scientist across the back, and hit him in the side of the head with enough forced to send the scientist falling to the ground, his head slamming against it painfully. Yamamoto paused over the scientist, the white lab coat now stained with red. He was still alive; Yamamoto hadn't critically injured him. It wasn't a particularly deep slash. The black-haired teen wiped his blade on the white lab coat, whispering to himself,

"Utsushi Ame; Duplicate Rain." It was creating a reflection using water of himself in front of an opponent, giving him the opportunity to attack from behind. Honestly, he didn't think he would be able to use it, but there were water particles in the air, and that was enough for him to reflect, or at least for a short amount of time. Besides, the place was a lot of shiny stainless steel, so it helped that Yamamoto had been able to use that. The reflection hadn't been perfect, but hey, it worked.

"Yamamoto." A voice said softly, and Yamamoto spun around to see Tsuna looking at him, awed by Yamamoto's skill. Even though said teen was still on the other side of the room, and he was speaking softly, it carried enough for Yamamoto to hear. The teen smiled sheepishly at his shy best friend. "That was really cool."

"Thanks, Tuna. I was afraid it wouldn't work, but I guess for someone so interested in using illusions, he wasn't very good with them." It was then that Yamamoto noticed the large, hulking man coming up behind Tsuna quickly. Even as Yamamoto was seeing him, he was only feet away from the smaller teen, and martial arts or no martial arts, if that guy got his arms around Tsuna before Tsuna could defend himself, the smaller teen would be crushed instantly. "DUCK!" Yamamoto yelled, changing the grip of the sword in his hand, dropping it, and kicking it (A.N. this is Shigure Souen Style 3, Yarazu No Ame, Last Minute Rain) Tsuna dropped just in time, as the blade went flying, and sunk into the chest of the hulking guard behind Tsuna. The man blinked, peered down at his chest, and then dropped like a stone. Tsuna scrambled away from the body, climbing to his feet, as Yamamoto sprinted over.

He touched Tsuna's shoulder, and pulled his sword from the chest of the guard. Tsuna looked horrified, and clutched Yamamoto's arm.

"You alright?" Yamamoto asked him. Tsuna nodded, and then bent down besides the guard, checking his pulse. Yamamoto peered over Tsuna. "He still alive?" Tsuna glanced up, and nodded, before rising back up, and wrapping his arms around Yamamoto's waist, hugging him.

"Arigato." He whispered into Yamamoto's chest, trembling. Yamamoto didn't really understand what had gotten Tsuna so afraid, but knew it had something to do with the man about to attack him. But he wasn't going to push Tsuna, so he let it lie.

To Tsuna, he had a small nagging from his Hyper Intuition, but because he wasn't completely learned in the art of Hyper Intuition yet, he ignored it, like a fool. He hadn't seen any threat, and foolishly let it get close enough. Just when the man had been about to grab him and crush him, at that moment, his Intuition had gone haywire, and it was like a thousand waves crashing in on him in that one moment. It was painful to even _know_ let alone react in time. Especially when those thousand waves turned into a thousand voices, screaming, "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE." He knew that it wasn't a particularly good reason for being so frightened, but it hurt, and it scared him, and it had been close, and worst of all, Tsuna had messed up which meant it could happen again, and that thought alone was terrifying. It was like an impending sense of doom laying itself over his shoulders.

"You alright, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked again, and Tsuna let his friend go, nodding, and taking a deep breath.

In a few minutes, it became very clear that most of the guards had been decimated, the smart scientists had fled in the commotion, but everything had been left behind, which was good for them. Bel and Tsuna attacked the information with a vengeance, scrolling through files, tearing through for information on Rokudo Mukuro, and saving things they thought were interesting and possibly useful in the future. Tsuna had found a whole bunch of information to barter with Verde about. Tsuna knew he was asking for trouble by contacting the Arcobaleno, but he had so many questions and some of the answers, only Verde had. And Verde wouldn't waste his time with anyone unless he had a reason to, so here Tsuna was, gathering information.

When Bel found something on Rokudo, he flicked it up onto the large screen, and Lussuria read it out loud.

"Rokudo Mukuro, Test Subject 69. Engineered to remember reincarnations, can use the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Especially skilled with the Path of Hell, illusions. Highly dangerous." It went on to explain how dangerous Rokudo was, his abilities, and some gobbly gook about the engineering process that Tsuna didn't really understand but found horrible. It also listed off some of the facilities he had been. "What's this?" Lussuria asked with a frown. It was a link to a video.

"Click it, sissy." Bel teased, and Lussuria did. The video opened over the screen, and the voice of a scientist came on.

"Test Subject 69 is resisting the rest of the Paths. Trying to force the process on it. Operation in progress." The scientist turned the camera to a large operating table, complete with manacles and straps. Two guards opened a door, dragging a young, adorable, beaten, bloody Rokudo Mukuro in. They literally had to drag the child along, because he didn't seem to have the strength to stand up. Tsuna watched in horror as they strapped the child to the table, got their operating tools ready, along with other objects Tsuna didn't recognize, but understood were going to do horrible things to the child. The next moment, without even being sedated, they were operating and the child was screaming.

He was shrieking, writhing, begging them to stop, and they just ignored him, gagged him, and forced his head down powerfully, as the boy tried to scream through the gag. Everyone was looking away, but Tsuna was responding violently. He covered his mouth, and rushed over to one of the desks, pulling out a garbage can so he could vomit into it. He couldn't take it; couldn't watch the bloody operation, couldn't watch Rokudo Mukuro bleeding and screaming, just wishing that they would stop hurting him. Tears ran down his face, and the video stopped, as Lussuria closed out, covering his eyes, and taking a seat. He was hiding tears behind his sunglasses.

Yamamoto came over to Tsuna, tears dripping down his face, and rubbing Tsuna's back as he puked into the garbage can. Even Hibari was looking away, back towards mostly everyone and staring off into the empty space. Bel was sitting on a desk, inhumanly still, not making any sound.

When Tsuna was finished, he sighed, rubbing the tears away from his eyes. He got to his feet, and walked over to Bel, hands balled into fists at his sides.

"That assault on the facility; Varia better be doing it, and I'm sure as hell coming. Got it?" Bel nodded, and didn't say anything. Which Tsuna was kind of glad about. There was nothing else to be said. What did you say after seeing something about that?

After a few seconds, Bel returned to the computer, collecting all the information on a hard drive.

"The Prince will…go over this later." _On any empty stomach._ Because they all knew it wasn't going to get any better from there. Suddenly, a message flashed on the screen, and all their heads snapped up.

_"Alert, Operating Room vacated, Test Subject in critical condition-,"_ Before the computer had even finished relaying the message, Tsuna was off, following his Hyper Intuition to the Operating Room, frantic to find the test subject who was in danger. But that message made him so goddamn angry; Operating room vacated- but it was clear the test subject was still in there. Was that all that person was? Just a goddamn test subject? Not even considered a person?

Tsuna flung the door to the room open, and froze at the sight in front of him. There was a boy strapped to the table, sobbing, sliced open from his lower abdomen to his chest. His skin was mottled in places, probably from the Estraneo's tests, and he couldn't have been older than eight. He was Fuuta's age. He sobbed violently, trembling. Tsuna sprinted over, grabbing the edge of the table and the straps.

"Please don't!" The boy cried out, thinking that Tsuna was going to hurt him. Tsuna met his eyes quickly.

"No! I'm not here to hurt you!" he unstrapped the boy, but he clearly couldn't move him from the operating table. Tsuna rubbed his forehead, not sure what he was going to do. He twisted around to see his friends standing in the doorway, looking horrified.

"We've…called for backup." Lussuria said quietly. The boy's hand suddenly latched on to Tsuna's, and Tsuna looked back into dark, frightened eyes.

"W-why are you here?" he choked out quietly. Tsuna bent down a little, and took the boy's hand.

"T-to stop Estraneo." Tsuna managed out beyond his tears at the sad sight before him. "Y-you're going to be fine." What was he supposed to say? What he was supposed to say to the broken child in front of him? How did he explain this?

"W-who are you?"

"My name is Tsuna." Tsuna whispered. "What's yours?"

"T-t-test subject-,"

"No, your name."

"H-haruka." The boy trembled, still frightened. Tsuna took Haruka's hand.

"Nice to meet you." He whispered. "Are you scared?" Haruka nodded.

"Don't be. You're going to be fine."

"I-I'm really c-c-cold…." Without hesitation, Tsuna shrugged off his hoodie and laid it over the sliced-open boy. "C-can I g-go home?" Haruka asked hesitantly. Tsuna gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Yeah. You can go home." Haruka let out a small sigh of relief. Tsuna couldn't ignore the impending sense of fear that something awful was going to happen. He just knew it. And it wasn't just him; it was in Haruka's eyes, and practically radiating off of everyone else in the room.

"Th-that's g-g-good." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I-I'm r-r-really tired…" A sense of fear gripped Tsuna. No…he wasn't…it wouldn't…that would just be too cruel.

"Try to stay awake." Tsuna whispered. "Just until we can help you some more." Haruka nodded.

"Why d-d-do you want to stop Estraneo?"

"What they're doing isn't right. They can't be allowed to hurt people like this just because they want to. People shouldn't have to suffer." Haruka gave a small nod.

"Th-th-that would be n-n-nice…" After a moment of silence, Haruka asked, "C-c-can you do something for me?"

_Anything._

"What is it?" Tsuna asked softly.

"My m-m-mom used t-t-to sing to m-me b-b-before they t-took me away. Would you m-m-mind-? B-b-before I d-die…." Tsuna nodded gently. He didn't want to admit, but he didn't want to lie to Haruka, and from the knot in Tsuna's stomach, his Hyper Intuition was telling him that Haruka was speaking the truth. He slid one hand under Haruka's head, and leaned forward, to quietly sing to him.

_"Oh, I miss the comfort of this house._

_ Where we are, where we are._

_ Where we are, where we are."_

_ "The floor under our feet whispers out,_

_ Come on in, come on in, where it all begins."_

_ "Can you chase this fire away?"_

_ The tallest man I've ever seen afloat,_

_ On a boat, on a boat._

_ On a boat, on a boat._

_ He keeps his only son close by._

_ In a bag, in a bag._

_ In a bag on his back."_

_ "Can you chase this fire away?"_

_ "We climbed up to the top in worn out shoes,_

_ But she ran down, she ran down._

_ She ran down to the house._

_ A fox that gains our trust but then breaks it as he walks_

_ Away from us, away from us"._

_ "Can you chase this fire away?_

_ Can you chase this fire away?"_

_ "In the fire we sleep all day_

_ In the fire we sleep all day"_

_ "Where we are, where we are_

_ Where we are, where we are"_

When he finished up the song, Haruka opened one eye warily, and gave him a weak smile.

"I-I really l-l-like your s-singing."

And with that, the little boy closed his eyes and died.

Tsuna held onto Haruka's hand until it went cold, and then stood up, letting go of the small body. He turned around to see his friends, blinked at them once, before sinking to his knees, crying hard.


	16. Chapter 16

The song is Build the Moon by Charlotte Sometimes

Enjoy!

XXXX

The second night back, Tsuna tried really hard not to cry. Not only did he have to live with the death of Haruka and the images of all the horrible things that had happened to Rokudo Mukuro, but their absence had provided Rokudo with the perfect opportunity to attack Gokudera- as soon as they were home, Tsuna had been called to the hospital, with the message that Gokudera was there.

Tsuna had rushed there immediately, fussing over his friend, and doing his best to help, all while Gokudera sullently stared at his injuries, muttering something about a glasses-freak. The reason Tsuna hadn't cried then was because he couldn't do it in front of anyone else, and he had ended up staying the night at the hospital, just to be by Gokudera, even though he couldn't do anything to help. He fell asleep in a chair by Gokudera's bedside, but was up early in the morning in order to further fuss over Gokudera and comfort him. Yamamoto came by for the majority of the day; he'd been by yesterday too, but did not stay as long as Tsuna did. Hibari had never bothered; he had already received word that Gokudera's injuries had never been life threatening and that left him with no reason to stay.

"Jyuudaime, are you alright?" Tsuna, who had been thinking about the Varia and all, jumped at the title, cringing a little. He faced Gokudera uneasily, nodding. He gave him the best smile he could put on.

_I'm fine. How are YOU feeling, Gokudera-kun?_ Gokudera reacted violently, turning into the puppy version of himself again.

"I'm fine, Jyuudaime! Don't you worry one bit! I'll be out of this hospital and kicking the crap out of that glasses-beanie freak in no time! He could be a threat to your safety!" Tsuna's smile became a little more genuine at Gokudera's enthusiasm. He touched Gokudera's arm.

"Thank you Gokudera-kun, but please allow yourself to heal." He whispered. Gokudera looked up at Tsuna with shining eyes.

"Of course! Anything for Jyuudaime!" Tsuna winced a little again, and sat down in his chair, while Gokudera and Yamamoto initiated a very one-sided argument. He watched, as Yamamoto laughed and Gokudera spat insults, and he felt a little bit better. A few hours passed, and Yamamoto informed Gokudera that he had to go. "IT'S ABOUT TIME!" Gokudera roared at the swordsman, who just grinned.

While Yamamoto was getting up, he glanced over to Tsuna.

"You gonna go soon?" Tsuna shrugged, and Yamamoto eyed him carefully. Gokudera noticed, and glanced at Tsuna.

"Jyuudaime, were you here all last night?" Gokudera asked hesitantly. Tsuna looked down and nodded, flushing. Yamamoto touched Tsuna's shoulder gently.

"You should go home, then. You couldn't have slept much last night." He hadn't. It had only been about five hours total, but that was enough for him. Still, he was a little cramped from sleeping in a hard chair. But Tsuna shook his head. He didn't want to leave Gokudera. Yamamoto took Tsuna's chin in his hand and forced the petite boy to look at him. "Tsuna. It's okay. Gokudera will be fine."

_But-_

"I'll be absolutely fine, Jyuudaime!" Gokudera chirped. "You should go home and rest, and you can tell me more about the trip later, after you've gotten a good night of sleep." Tsuna faltered again. He couldn't help but feel partially responsible for Gokudera being attacked. If Tsuna had been there, he could have helped Gokudera. He could have done something. Instead, they had left him unthinkingly exposed and now he was in the hospital. So strike that. Tsuna wasn't just partially responsible. He was responsible for what had happened to Gokudera.

_But-_

"I'll stay here." Yamamoto announced suddenly. "I'll stay with him tonight for you, and if you're still not comfortable leaving him here, we'll switch off every night. Does that sound good to you?" Yamamoto offered. Tsuna blinked at him.

_I'm not sure-_

"We'll call Hibari." Yamamoto was apparently pulling out the big guns, because Hibari would most definitely knock some sense into Tsuna. Tsuna looked around, taking in the concerned looks of his friends, especially Gokudera. By trying to stay here, he was causing them more stress than relief. He sighed, and nodded.

_I'll go._ The immediate relief on their faces made Tsuna feel guilty about trying to stay and worrying them. After all, this wasn't about him. Gokudera was top priority here. Before he left, he gave Yamamoto and Gokudera both a quick hug, making sure not to jostle any of their injuries. Gokudera smiled brightly at Tsuna.

"We'll be fine, Jyuudaime!" Tsuna nodded. Yamamoto touched Tsuna's shoulder again, giving him a quiet smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Tsuna. Go home and get some more sleep." Tsuna nodded.

When he got home, Reborn and the kids left him alone, seeming to sense that there was something wrong. Tsuna had already had the discussion with Fuuta about his missing ranking book, which he was sure was where Rokudo had gotten the ranking in the first place.

It was a relief to sleep on a nice bed, that didn't stop awful dreams and the tears of guilt and empathy that practically soaked his pillow in the morning. He had been crying in his sleep.

He sat up, exhausted even though he had a full night of sleep. His hands made his way to his face, to wipe off any more tears, and he let out a loud sigh. He just couldn't stop thinking about Haruka. He hadn't deserved to die. He should have been saved. They should have checked the place earlier, instead of hanging around and looking for stupid information. They might have been able to get to him in time. They could have saved him. But by the time they had reached him, it was very clear to Tsuna that nothing they could have done would have saved the poor boy. But…it wasn't fair.

The Varia had promised to respectfully take care of the body, but Tsuna couldn't help but feel like there wasn't any closure. And he guessed he would feel like that until Estraneo had been destroyed.

Tsuna glanced over at his alarm clock, before rolling out of bed and forcing himself to go to school. It was going to be a long day.

XXXX

Kusakabe had noticed the changes.

Even though he knew that Kyo-san was training the small, fluffy-haired student, he hadn't actually talked to the boy much. But he knew that Hibari spent a surprising amount of time around the boy, and apparently, it was changing him. And maybe for the better.

It started off small, really. Hibari went other places more. Usually, he had a finite amount of place he went- his house, his office, the school ground to bite herbivores to death, the roof, occasionally on patrol, and every once and a while, he could be found napping under the sakura trees in a small park. Other than that, Hibari didn't go places. He didn't like people. He didn't like doing more than he had to.

And Kusakabe could deal with that. But he still felt like Kyo-san should have more of a life.

And then, Kyo-san started going more places. Not a lot at first, but it had slowly increased over the course of time to the point where Hibari was rarely in his office- only for paperwork, napping, coffee and tea.

And then there was the talking. He still wasn't a chatterbox, but he was less curt and strict with Kusakabe, and spoke a little more to him.

And then finally, when Kusakabe walked into Hibari's office, he caught the most unlikely of changes.

It was clear that Hibari had been in the middle of work; he had a stack by him, a sheet in front of him, and a pen in his hand, tapping on of the sheets gently, leaving a small inkblot. Kyo-san had frozen, blinking at the wall blankly, thinking. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, since occasionally, Kusakabe had seen Hibari debating about what to do, but this time, there was a small smile on Kyo-san's face. Well, Kusakabe wouldn't exactly call it a smile. It wasn't a smile, not at all. Just a small, quirk of the lips. It was just not a scowl, but not exactly a straight face. It wasn't a traditional smile, but it was the closest thing Kusakabe had seen to a true, genuine smile on Kyo-san in a long time, so he stood, rooted to the spot, not willing to interrupt. Whatever Hibari was thinking about was pleasant. It had to be, to make the stoic, vicious prefect have that expression.

After about a moment of watching Hibari –did Kusakabe dare think it? – daydream, he cleared his throat. Hibari straightened up, his head snapping to the side to look at his right hand man. His eyes were dark and icy as always.

"Kyo-san, I have some papers for you." Hibari nodded, and Kusakabe hurried forward, feeling like he would freeze under the prefect's glacier gaze. He set the papers on the desk, before quickly hurrying out of the room, hiding a smile.

He didn't really know what Hibari had been thinking about, to put him in such a pleasantly neutral state. It could have been the thought of ripping Rokudo Mukuro to shreds. Or Estraneo. Or biting annoying herbivores to death. Maybe it was even Kyo-san's student. It could have even been a strange combination of all of them. But it was nice to see Hibari taking a moment for once- a moment to just think about something he liked.

XXXX

"I'd like to take a moment to talk about putting our scheme into action, before Tsuna gets here." Yamamoto said. All the people involved were standing around Gokudera's hospital room. They had about an hour before Tsuna would be visiting and probably staying the night, so they needed to get things in order fast. They already had a few group meetings, but now it was time to finally activate part of their plan.

"First order of business." Reborn started, sounding official. "A Halloween/welcome back party for Gokudera."

"Why?" Gokudera asked. Reborn smacked Gokudera in the head.

"Stupid Hayato. Tsuna won't be suspicious, we can get Hibari to be there, and there are plenty of opportunities at a party to put them into awkward situations and make them wonder about whether or not they like each other." Gokudera scowled.

"So you're using me to do it?"

"Of course we are." Yamamoto said cheerfully. They had another component to their plan, that they hadn't told Fon or Gokudera about, since they wouldn't approve. Bianchi knew, but that was because she was providing the alcohol.

"You better not make Jyuudaime uncomfortable." Gokudera muttered.

_He'll be too drunk to be uncomfortable._ Yamamoto thought cheerfully.

"When is this party going to be?" Fon asked politely.

"Next week. Guest list should be Ryohei, who actually asked to come by and see Tsuna about something, so we just told him to come then, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Hibari, me, you, Useless Dino, maybe TYL Lambo for five minute increments, Bianchi, Tsuna, and Shamal, in order to drive everyone crazy." Reborn explained happily. "Dino will be bringing his men though, so no one will die."

"This sounds like a terrible idea…" Gokudera murmured to himself. Yamamoto slapped him on the back, causing him to cringe at his injuries.

"Don't worry Gokudera!" Yamamoto laughed. "It'll work out just fine! Besides," He dropped his voice. "I told you what happened Tsuna needs not to think about all this for now. I think it would be good for all of us to just take a breather." Gokudera didn't ask him to elaborate. "All this" was Rokudo Mukuro, Estraneo, the attacks, which they had no idea what Rokudo was building up to. Was he just attacking them to get their attention? It didn't seem like a very well thought out plan.

"So, are you in?" Reborn asked, grinning like a shark. Gokudera sighed. If he wasn't there to at least try to protect Tsuna from the majority of the disaster that would occur, he would consider himself a failure.

"I'm going to kill all of you." He snarled. They took that as a yes, and Yamamoto grinned evilly.

XXXX

"Sawada-kun!" Tsuna stopped in the hallway, turning towards the source of the voice. He spotted a red-haired boy with glasses hurrying down the hall, struggling to hold onto all of his things. Tsuna smiled at Shouichi, and waited for him. When Shouichi finally caught up, he took a deep breath before speaking. "Sawada-kun." Tsuna nodded to let Shouichi know that he was listening. "A virus has spread to some of the computers, and I was asked to fix it. I was wondering if you wanted to help." Tsuna tilted his head to the side.

_When?_

"Afterschool." It had been several days since Gokudera's attack, and after a gruesome first four days, Tsuna and Yamamoto were both ready to leave Gokudera unattended at night, with the promise that DC members would be watching the hospital. Apparently, Hibari thought he could get a lead off of Rokudo Mukuro, if another man came to attack, like what had happened with Ryohei. Gokudera hadn't been able to give them much information; just that he had found a guy that wielded these weird yoyos, he wore a beanie, glasses, and was called Chikusa. Since Tsuna was free today, he smiled at Shouichi, and nodded. Shouichi smiled back. "Thank you Sawada-kun. Meet me in the computer lab afterschool? It'll be just us, by the way." Tsuna touched Shouichi's arm gently, and nodded again. Shouichi nodded back excitedly. "I'll see you then." He left in a flurry down the hallway, desperate to get to his next class without getting tortured or anything by bullies. Yamamoto walked up to Tsuna, having stayed to the side so he wouldn't interrupt Tsuna's conversation.

"Ooh." Yamamoto started, and Tsuna saw a dark end for wherever Yamamoto was taking this. "Hot date?" Tsuna didn't actually know it was possible to choke on your own tongue up until that moment. He took a moment to breathe as Yamamoto laughed at him. Finally, when he got some oxygen in his lungs, he shook his head frantically. Yamamoto laughed again and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm kidding." Tsuna glared up at him.

_You could have said that to start with._ Yamamoto shrugged.

"Sorry, but I only heard part of the conversation, and it does sound like you two were going out." Tsuna winced, and glared at Yamamoto. Yamamoto snickered. "It's just nice to see you make friends." Yamamoto said cheerfully, smiling at him, slinging his arm around Tsuna's shoulders.

Later, when Shouichi and Tsuna were in the computer lab, finishing up, Shouichi touched Tsuna's shoulder hesitantly. Tsuna glanced at him.

_Yes?_

"Well, there is this robotics shop that just opened… it has all the parts you could use to make anything…and I was wondering if you wanted to come to the opening with me." Shouichi said nervously, twisting his hands. Tsuna could already tell that the poor boy was a little socially awkward, and probably wanted to be friends with Tsuna. Tsuna smiled and nodded.

_I would love to._

"The opening is tomorrow afterschool." Tsuna could see that Shouichi was really excited to go, and was too frightened to go on his own. He touched Shouichi's shoulder in assurance.

As they began to leave the computer lab, Shouichi started talking about some of his projects with Spanner.

"Spanner's been trying really hard to build a robot- I mean, we've done it before, but we're trying to give this robot a little bit more of a personality, just for fun. We've been working on the programming, and he's putting it together by him. The only problem is that we might not have the parts we need- we're trying to make our own parts, if possible, and coordinate them with the rest of the robot, but I'm not sure how well it is working out. The programming is a little difficult too." Tsuna listened for a moment.

_Could I help?_

"How much experience do you have programming?" Tsuna shrugged and took out his phone. He typed:

_I know how to program computers and all, but I've never programmed an actual robot. But I migh be able to help._

"That would be really cool, Sawada-kun." Shouichi said happily. Since Tsuna had his phone out, he typed;

_You can call me Tsuna._ Shouichi blinked at him.

"Really?" Tsuna nodded. "Okay then, Tsuna-kun." He proceeded to go on and tell Tsuna about his projects, getting more and more excited as they waled through the school. Just as they were about to leave school grounds, there was a loud shout.

"YO! DAME-TSUNA AND IRIE!" Shouichi froze up. Tsuna twisted around quickly, to see a group of seniors that normally picked on Shouichi. Tsuna had been getting picked on less and less, but that didn't mean that people still didn't try to bully him when other people weren't around.

"Oh no. It's them, isn't it?" "Them" needed no nodded and Shouichi winced. They heard the footsteps behind them speed up.

"HEY! WAIT UP!" The seniors yelled. Tsuna grabbed Shouichi's arm and pulled him forward, as both of them broke out into a sprint. Tsuna could always defend Shouichi, but he'd rather not get into trouble with them.

"WHATCHYA RUNNING FROM?!" Tsuna and Shouichi ran through the halls, to the stairs, hoping to get down to the first level quickly and off the grounds, but by the time they reached the second level stairs, Shouichi was breathing heavily, and struggling to keep up. He paused, bending down, his hands on his legs.

"I can't…I can't keep running." Shouichi breathed out. "I'm bad at this and I'm scared, and my stomach hurts. I just can't do this, Tsuna-kun!" Shouichi panicked, clutching his stomach, and sweating profusely. Tsuna touched Shouchi's shoulder gently, as Shouichi whispered, "I'm sorry, Tsuna-kun. You should run." Tsuna shook his head firmly, and helped Shouichi straighten up. He turned around to face the seniors that were jogging down the hall after them, laughing. They immediately surrounded both Shouichi and Tsuna. Tsuna made sure to stay close to Shouichi, who was more scared than ever before.

"Guess you two losers couldn't run anymore." One of them laughed, and Shouichi flushed a deep red.

"We're bored. Why don't you two entertain us?" One of them teased, and one of the seniors lunged forward to grab Shouichi. "After all, you two are just a waste of space!" He laughed. Shouichi squeaked as he was pulled towards the senior, who had him by the front of his shirt. As this happened, another senior lunged forward for Tsuna, who danced out of his reach, but barely. The senior who had Shouichi drew his arm back to punch the poor kid in the stomach. Shouichi closed his eyes and prepared himself for the worst.

But it never hit.

The next thing he knew, the hand had released his shirt, and there was a loud yell from the senior.

"YOU LITTLE FREAK!" Another senior yelled, brushing past Shouichi, who finally peeked to see what had just happened. And what he saw was Tsuna, forcing the senior onto the ground, twisting his arm, with his foot on the senior's neck. When the other senior lunged at him, Tsuna released the other boy, ducked under a punch, and brought his knee up swiftly into the senior's groin.

"YOU BASTARD!"

"HE'S A FREAK! GET HIM!" The rest of the group yelled, rushing towards Tsuna, as the other injured senior fell to the ground, moaning and clutching his balls.

"TSUNA-KUN!" Shouichi yelled, frightened for the shy boy. Tsuna, meanwhile, brought another senior crashing down into the other two, sprinted out of the crowd, grabbing Shouichi's arm and pulling him along towards the stairs. When they got to the stairs, Tsuna glanced back. The seniors had been stuck in an awkward tangle of limbs and weight, and were only now climbing to their feet. _Good_, he thought. _We can make it._ He really didn't want to push the fight any further, because it would just make the seniors angrier later, and Tsuna didn't want to deal with them.

He pulled Shouichi down the stairs, and they didn't stop to talk or rest until they were off school grounds and rushing towards a nearby park to hide. They slipped behind the majority of the park, to a large, grassy area with lots of bushes and trees, perfectly out of view. When they got there, Shouichi collaped to the ground, breathing heavily, and Tsuna leaned against a tree, offering a sheepish smile.

After a moment, the red-headed boy spoke.

"How did you do that?" He asked quietly. Tsuna shrugged, and pulled out his phone. He typed

_A while ago, my brother's home tutor thought that it was about time I learned to defend myself. _And handed it to Shouichi. Shouichi read the message and handed it back, eyebrows knit together.

"Could you have taken the rest of them?" Shouchi wondered. Tsuna nodded. Shouichi frowned. "Why didn't you?" Tsuna typed;

_I don't like hurting people._ Shouichi read it and nodded. He looked at Tsuna for a second, before smiling.

"That was pretty cool." Tsuna turned bright red, but gave a weak smile to Shouichi. "Oh, by the way, do you want to exchange phone numbers?" Tsuna nodded, and he moved down to the ground, on his stomach, supporting himself with his arms. He pulled out his phone again as he did, and Shouichi did the same. They switched and put their numbers in. Tsuna was a little embarrassed about how short is contact list was. But when they switched back, Shouichi smiled up at him. "Let's be friends, Tsuna-kun."

"Okay." He whispered. Shouichi's eyes went wide in shock. Tsuna smiled.

XXXX

"BOO!" Tsuna snapped awake at the loud yell from Lambo. He blinked hard, looking up to see Lambo standing on him, smiling wide, and wearing vampire fangs. Lambo removed them so he could talk. "HAPPY HALLOWEEN, TSUNA-NII!" He hugged Tsuna, jumped off of him, and rushed off to "scare" more people. Tsuna rubbed his head and slowly sat up, blinking. He yawned, and slid out of bed to go check the calendar hanging on the wall. Sure enough, it was Halloween. And Friday.

He started to get ready for school. After he showered and got dressed, he stopped in his room to get his backpack. As he did, he jammed a few parts into it. He had gone to the new store with Shouichi the other day, and hadn't really gotten a chance to mess around with some of it, so he wanted to take a closer look at lunch. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and hurried down to breakfast.

Breakfast was…_off._ Tsuna couldn't quite put his finger on it. Well, most breakfasts in the Sawada household were really awkward because of Ieyoshi, Reborn, and Bianchi, but today was even more awkward than usual. For some reason, Bianchi kept looking at Tsuna and giggling. Ieyoshi would demand what was going on, and Reborn would hit him. That part seemed relatively normal, but the atmosphere was just hticker. It was like they knew something Tsuna didn't.

"Happy Halloween, Tsu-chan." Bianchi said, smiling widely and mischeviously. Tsuna gave her a strange look.

_Uh…thanks? _What was going on that Tsuna didn't know about?

"Now, off to school, Tsuna." Reborn ordered, pointing his Leon gun at Tsuna. He gave a devil's smile. "Don't want to be late, now do you?" Tsuna's eyes widened, and he shook his head, as he scampered out the door, looking back at the group suspiciously.

Gokudera and Yamamoto were just the same; they kept exchanging looks, and grins, and glancing at Tsuna when they didn't think he noticed. Really, just what was going on? They were all being so suspicious!

At least class was normal. No one acted like there was something he didn't know, but halfway through first period, Kusakabe came into the classroom. The teacher abruptly stopped writing on the board.

"Kusakabe-kun?" The teen smiled.

"Hai, sensei. I need to talk to Sawada Tsunayoshi for a moment in the hallway. It'll only take a minute." Everyone looked to Tsuna, and the teacher nodded.

"Please make it quick." The teacher gestured for Tsuna to follow Kusakabe into the hallway. He slid out of his seat and slipped out of the classroom with Kusakabe, who took him a little bit away from the classroom, so people couldn't see them through the frosted glass. The shy teenager looked at the DC member with big eyes.

_What is it?_ Kusakabe smiled.

"You're not in trouble, Sawada-kun." Tsuna was a little bit relieved. He hadn't thought he was in trouble, but the DC still made him a little nervous, despite the amount of time he spent around Hibari. "I just wanted to tell you that Hibari wants you in his office at 12:10. He got a lead concerning Rokudo Mukuro today and he is pursuing it now. He expects to be back around then and I believe he wants to discuss his findings with you." Tsuna nodded, but frowned a little. He would have to leave class, and he had Nezu for that period. Normally, for most teachers, just, _I have to go see Hibari-san._ Would be enough for them to let him go. But Nezu would not. Tsuna gave Kusakabe a curious look, and even though Kusakabe didn't understand him exactly, he seemed to have been thinking the same thing. "Don't worry, Sawada-kun." He handed Tsuna a note to be excused from class, signed by Hibari himself. "This should get you out of class." Tsuna smiled and nodded.

_Arigato._

"You should get back to class." Tsuna nodded, and went back to his class. He slipped in quietly, and took his seat. As he did, a kid near him whispered,

"Hey, Tsuna. What was that about?" Tsuna just shook his head.

XXXX

Tsuna did actually get to Hibari's office before Hibari. He was waiting patiently on the couch when the door flew open and an angry Hibari burst in. He was covered in blood, and while Tsuna could tell that most of it was not his own, he clearly did have some injuries. Tsuna stood up, wide-eyed. Hibari glared at Tsuna.

"I found nothing. You are dismissed." Hibari flung his jacket over his chair angrily, and pulled a first aid it out one of his desk drawers. While he was walking, Tsuna noticed the way he limped and winced with every step, like every part of him hurt. When Tsuna didn't leave the office, he turned back to Tsuna, eyes narrowed. "You should go back to class." He said, his voice filled with venom, though Tsuna knew that Hibari's anger wasn't directed at him. Tsuna shook his head, and hurried over to Hibari. He pulled the first aid kit out of the bloody teen's hands and opened it. He pointed at the couch.

_I'll help. If you're injured, you should let me take care of it. _

"I don't need your help." Tsuna pointed at the couch again, a little more sternly this time. He didn't know where Hibari was injured, and he could hurt himself further if he tried to take care all of his wounds himself. Besides, Tsuna hated seeing people hurt, especially his friends, and Hibari redefined the word "hurt." He watched Hibari shift and saw the pain flit across his eyes. "I don't need your help." Hibari repeated, and Tsuna narrowed his eyes back at the chairman. Hibari was hurt. Badly.

"Sit down." He ordered. Hibari glared at him, but could tell Tsuna meant business.

"I can handle this myself." He muttered angrily, as he slinked off shamefully towards the couch, attempting not to wince in Tsuna's presence. He sat on the edge, and Tsuna brought the first aid kit over to the coffee table. He gave a silent order for Hibari to stay where he was, and grabbed a few towels, wetting them by the sink in the adjoining part of the office. Hibari's office really was huge. It even had a coffee machine for the DC. Tsuna rushed back to Hibari, who had his arms crossed sullenly while he watched Tsuna approach him.

"Hold still." Tsuna whispered, and he faced Hibari, holding the damp towel, and wiping blood off of the prefect's face. It was pretty quick; the blood was mostly fresh so it came off the skin relatively easily. There was a small cut on Hibari's face, but he had more pressing injuries, so Tsuna told himself he would come back to it.

Most of the damage was probably underneath Hibari's shirt- Tsuna could see where it had been ripped by blades in places. But what he was trying to figure out was how to ask the prefect to remove his shirt without making it sound awkward. In the end, he just ended up pointing at Hibari's shirt, and looking him sternly in the eye, as if to say, _You know what I need you to do_. Hibari glared back as he unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his shoulders.

Tsuna had been right; there were some pretty deep gashes in Hibari's torso, plenty of bruises, and it looked like he had been burned in one place. Tsuna didn't even want to ask where Hibari had been; he was too scared to know. But he had a lot of blood to clear off in order to see the wounds clearly. Tsuna set to work on Hibari's upper torso first, but since he had to reach the lower parts to and Hibari was sitting down, he got down on one knee to continue his work. Hibari leaned back a little, so Tsuna could make sure he cleaned most of the blood. When he was done with that, Tsuna grabbed a clean towel and the antiseptic. Picking out one of the gashes, he placed the towel just underneath, and squirted the blue liquid into the wound. Hibari flinched in surprise, as Tsuna had given no warning, but allowed the petite boy to continue cleaning the wound. Tsuna made sure he got all of the gash, wiped the remaining, dripping liquid away, and pulled out the gauze.

He did this repeatedly, with all of Hibari's wounds, but just used water to clean the burn and put some of the burn-soothing cream and a bandage on it. Tsuna was very good at taking care of wounds; he had plenty of his own to take care of for a long time. He managed to bandage Hibari efficiently, so he wouldn't waste the DC chairman's time. He even got around to checking Hibari's back, which was mostly unwounded, just bruised. Hibari was going to have some pretty impressive bruises all over his body later. When Tsuna was finished, he turned around and packed up the first aid kit again, giving Hibari a nurse-like nod.

The prefect pulled his shirt back on, buttoning it up, and getting to his feet. When Tsuna saw Hibari rising, he spun around and pushed him back down, boldly. Hibari seemed to think so too, because he arched an eyebrow curiously at Tsuna, who blushed. The entire time Tsuna had been treating Hibari, he had been holding back a blush of epic proportions because of the awkwardness of the situation. Well, damnit, he wasn't just going to let it go now because he was looking at Hibari's face. He gathered as much of his nurse-attitude as he could, and shook his head at Hibari.

"You need to sit down and relax. Preferrably sleep too." Tsuna reminded him quietly. Sleep helped you to heal; knowing how many naps Hibari took, Tsuna didn't see any reason why Hibari couldn't sleep right now. It would be better for him. Hibari narrowed his eyes at Tsuna.

"No."

"You can't exert yourself."

"No."

"Please?" Tsuna begged quietly. Hibari kept glaring at Tsuna for another moment, but Tsuna gave him a big-eyed look of begging and Hibari found that Tsuna looked just too much like a small animal for Hibari to deny him. The prefect sighed.

"Fine. On one condition." Tsuna blinked owlishly. "You have to sing to me." Hibari said with a smirk. Tsuna's eyes widened. He didn't really mind the singing; in fact, he would be happy to do it. He just didn't like that he was making a deal with it. He tried to give Hibari a semi-frightening glare, but it just sort of ended up like a pout.

"That's not fair, Hibari-san." It wasn't fair, since Hibari knew that Tsuna would have to do it, because he really did need to sleep. Hibari shrugged, still smirking. Tsuna put his hands on his hips and pouted at Hibari for a little, but sighed and acquiesced. Hibari motioned for Tsuna to sit on the couch. Tsuna did, by the arm of the couch, feet swinging a little in front of him. "Mou, Hibari-san, you shouldn't make deals like this." Tsuna couldn't see all of Hibari's face, but he got the feeling that Hibari was still smirking and finding him pitifully amusing. Hibari turned to the side a little, and Tsuna almost flew to his feet in surprise at what he did next. Well, he would have, but Hibari would have killed him for it.

Hibari had laid down, setting his head in Tsuna's lap, looking up stoically at the shy teen. Tsuna's face was flaming and he was uncomfortable with the situation. He really didn't mind if Hibari wanted to sleep in his lap, but he could have at least given Tsuna some warning, couldn't he?!

"Well?" Hibari said expectantly. Tsuna glanced at the door in anguish, desperately hoping that Kusakabe or someone didn't come in. "Get on with it." He ordered. Tsuna winced. Hibari was a tyrant! A manipulating, deal-making, evil tyrant!

"I know." Tsuna muttered, a little bit shamed, and still very flushed with embarrassment. He paused for a second. "Hibari-san." He whispered.

"What." It wasn't really a question, just a monotone barb.

"Where did you go that you got hurt so badly?" Hibari closed his eyes, and didn't answer at first.

"None of your concern."

"You didn't have to."

"Rokudo Mukuro is threatening my town."

"But you were hurt."

"Don't you dare pity me. Pity is for herbivores. I made my decision. I didn't find anything. Getting hurt was my own choice." Hibari said. "Now get on with it. We made a deal, didn't we?" Tsuna nodded meekly. He paused again before starting.

"By the way, this is sort of a romance song, but don't make fun of me because I'm already embarrassed enough as it is and I really just like this one." Hibari snorted, amused. Tsuna started the soft song. He thought it would be something nice to sing. It wasn't entirely a romance song; but it had some themes. But he really did like the song. It was beautiful.

_"Give me a moment. _

_ Give me a clue._

_ Tell me anything_

_ As long as it's true."_

_ "Give me heartache._

_ That's what you do._

_ Tell me you want me._

_ I'm sick of being used."_

_ "I send my heart to you_

_ But you never cared_

_ You never do."_

_ "So build me you bridges._

_ Build me the moon._

_ Tell me you love me._

_ Tell me you love me soon."_

_ "You didn't know._

_ That I cry._

_ In my room._

_ Every night."_

_ "Maybe it's not _

_ Cause of you._

_ But it would be easier if you needed me too."_

_ "I send my heart to you,_

_ But you never cared._

_ You never do."_

_ "So build me your bridges,_

_ Build me the moon._

_ Tell me you love me._

_ Tell me you love me soon."_

_ "I cannot stop_

_ I cannot smile._

_ I know we weren't meant to be, but I want you here with me."_

_ "So build me your bridges._

_ Build me the moon._

_ Tell me you love me._

_ So build me your bridges_

_ Build me the moon_

_ Tell me you love me._

_ Tell me you love me._

_ So build me your bridges_

_ Build me the moon_

_ Tell me you love me._

_ Tell me you love me soon."_ The song was breathy and haunting, but soft and gentle at the same time. Tsuna glanced down nervously to see Hibari, who had his eyes closed and seemed to be mostly asleep. The song was a little edgy in comparison to normal "lullabies", but Tsuna had felt like it would be just Hibari's cup of tea. Before Hibari completely fell under, he cracked a slate grey eye open.

"I like it." He said sleepily, before slipping completely under. Tsuna could have cheered.

They stayed like that for a while, with Hibari sleeping in Tsuna's lap. It was kind of boring, but Tsuna slowly felt himself falling asleep. Some time during his spiral into sleep, he remembered glancing at Hibari's sleeping face and finding it kind of cute. The prefect wasn't as threatening asleep. That was one of the last thoughts that went through Tsuna's mind, before his head fell to his chest and he fell asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry guys, I know this is really short, but I think I cut the chapters wrong?

But anyways, short cute chapter with a side serving of angst

No song though

Enjoy!

XXXX

The most awkward thing that came with the injured Hibari and the singing and the sleep was when Hibari woke up, and ordered Tsuna awake. Tsuna snapped awake, blinking, and glanced down at Hibari. He was horrified. His hand had somehow ended up tangled in Hibari's hair while he had been asleep, and his other resting on Hibari's chest. His face flamed as he jerked his hands to his chest, embarrassed. Hibari looked up at him, amused.

"G-gomen, Hibari-san." Tsuna stuttered, his throat closing up towards the end, so he didn't get every sound out.

"Enjoying what you were doing?" Tsuna opened his mouth and promptly closed it, since somehow, in his embarrassment, he had completely reverted back to his psychosomatic inability to speak. The fact that Hibari was smirking up at him was not helping.

_C-c-can you get off m-my lap?_

"No." Tsuna just stared at Hibari with all the fear of a small animal confronted with a predator. And the worst part was that Hibari was _enjoying _it. After a few minutes of watching Tsuna open and close his mouth stupidly, Hibari sat up, looking smug. Tsuna exhaled loudly. He scrambled off the couch, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing at the clock.

_Uh…I guess I'll….uh…be going back to class? I think?_

Hibari gestured for Tsuna to go.

"Go on ahead, Tsunayoshi. You still have two periods I expect you to attend." Tsuna nodded skittishly and practically sprinted out of the door, flushed a deep red. The prefect watched him go, amused.

XXXX

_A party?_ Tsuna blinked at Yamamoto, as Yamamoto pulled him into the thick of it. Tsuna had no idea how he could not know there was a party going on at his house, but somehow, it had happened. It was after dark, and there were a bunch of people already in his house, listening to music, and yelling and laughing and already being idiots. Bianchi had taken care of the food (she hadn't cooked it herself), so there was practically an entire buffet. Kyoko and Hana had somehow ended up there too, and Tsuna wondered how Ieyoshi hadn't already come down and started screaming for all of them to screw off. Yamamoto grinned down at Tsuna through the noise.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Tsuna stared up at him curiously. Reborn bounced onto Tsuna's shoulder. He gestured at the room.

"Now, Dame-Tsuna, don't be a stick in the mud. We're going to start karaoke at ten thirty, and a drunken scavenger hunt at twelve." _Drunken?_ Tsuna thought incredulously. There wasn't an alcohol here- just the punch that Bianchi had gotten. "Feel free to do whatever you wish!" Reborn said with a mischevious grin, before hopping away. Tsuna looked to Yamamoto, who grabbed his arm and pulled him into the thick of it. The thick of it was basically Gokudera and Ryohei yelling at each other, with Kyoko peace-making and Hana making snide comments. Except there was music and food so they were laughing at some times and they all seemed happy.

"Tsuna! THIS IS AN EXTREME PARTY!" Ryohei exclaimed to Tsuna. Tsuna gave a small smile.

"OF COURSE IT IS, TURF-TOP!"

"Ma, ma, you're all so energetic!"

"SHUT UP!"

"You seem so happy!" Kyoko squeaked.

"And we observe the monkeys in their natural habitat. Oh, how are you doing, Tsuna? The song choice is pretty good. I like this song." Unfortunately, for Tsuna, Dino burst in on the scene, him and his men, who were apparently in "party mode" cranked up the mood of the party about fifty percent and basically turned the living room into a dance floor. Hell, they even brought a disco ball.

The way that his friends danced seemed very unique to them, Tsuna realized.

Yamamoto was just wild, and always pulling other people into dances with them. He could get anyone to dance, even Gokudera, though Gokudera still yelled at him about it.

Gokudera was a little awkward at first, but if someone stuck by him and helped him along, he had fun.

Ryohei was extreme. He danced extremely.

Kyoko always did a cute little energetic dance and loved dancing with anyone.

Hana usually danced with Kyoko, but you could tell that she had taken dance before because she moved far more gracefully than anyone else.

Bianchi and Shamal were usually a package deal of dancing, with Shamal trying to get a smooch, and Bianchi flinging him around, yet somehow still dancing. Separately, Shamal tried to dance/hit with/on any girl and occasionally Tsuna. Bianchi danced with anyone, but particularly enjoyed threatening to take her goggles off if Gokudera didn't dance with her.

Dino danced pretty well if his men were around, and managed to stay on his feet, which was amazing.

Tsuna had no idea how he danced, since he was bad at describing himself, but he liked to think it wasn't horribly embarrassing.

They all kept taking turns to slip out of the heat and go get some punch or something, but the party seemed to increase in wildness. After a little, Tsuna slipped out of the crowd and got a plastic cup of punch himself. It had a weird sort of zing to it, but it wasn't that bad. Tsuna pretty much chugged his cup, marked it, and set it down so he could get more later.

By the third time he got back there, things were really crazy, Reborn was setting up karaoke to see what the high-on-life group would do, and Tsuna spotted Hibari standing in the empty kitchen, glaring at the crowd.

"Hibari-san!" He squeaked, face flaming at what happened earlier. "You came!" Tsuna had assumed Hibari had received an invitation, but didn't expect him to come because of the crowding. Hibari nodded stiffly.

"Too much crowding." Was all he said, but he didn't leave. Tsuna suspected he had just gotten there, and probably wouldn't be staying long. Tsuna filled his cup awkwardly, and glanced at Hibari again.

_Are you going to join us?_

"No." Hibari said, and Tsuna didn't press. It was a miracle on its own that Hibari was even there. So Tsuna just smiled up at him.

"Thanks for coming." He whispered.

"Hn." Tsuna went over by the table, drank almost his entire glass, and set back into the crowd.

While Hibari watched the group dance, he decided he was thirsty and went over to get some punch. It tasted a little strange to him at first; not bad, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the taste. Whatever. He drank it anyways, and watched the crowd.

The baby was setting up karaoke, which meant that in a few minutes, the air would be filled with disgusting, screeching voices. So Hibari decided he would probably be leaving soon. Unless, of course, Tsunayoshi decided to go first. He was an exception.

Hibari didn't like being here anyways, but had come out of curiosity, and partly for Tsunayoshi. That part was small, and he would never really admit it, but he knew he had embarrassed the boy enough earlier, and Tsunayoshi _had_ cleaned and bandaged his wounds, so he figured the least he could do was show up. That didn't mean he had to stay, of course.

Hibari could almost pinpoint every stupid herbivore in the crowd- there was the dynamite herbivore, the baseball herbivore, the boxer herbivore, the horse herbivore, the annoying squeaky happy herbivore, who was the boxer herbivore's sister, and then the snide, clever herbivore, who Hibari admitted he tolerated a little bit more than the majority of the herbivores in Namimori. She was an herbivore, but had a brain. Hibari spotted his student dancing with the happy herbivore, a flush staining his cheeks, but he was smiling. Hibari gritted his teeth. Tsunayoshi was a carnivore. He was better than that annoying herbivore. A carnivore belonged with someone of similar class, not some lowly herbivore. At least, if Tsunayoshi insisted on associating with lesser people, he could pick someone that was more tolerable, and closer to omnivore. For example, Hibari thought he would mind less if Tsunayoshi was around the baseball herbivore and the clever herbivore. They were almost-omnivores. Hibari clearly had a lot more to teach his student.

And this lesson wasn't because of romantic interest in his student; whether or not that was the end result did not concern Hibari, because that wasn't the point. The point was that Tsunayoshi was associating with pathetic people and dating one would just about cross the line between carnivore and herbivore.

Hibari sipped his punch, irritated. He still found the taste of the punch a little funny, but didn't give it much thought.

When the karaoke started, it was the baseball herbivore up there first. He wasn't particularly bad, but he wasn't particularly good either, so Hibari hoped to wait it out. He would wait until Tsunayoshi sang and then he would leave. Next, the dynamite herbivore, who seemed to be acting strangely, but when he was singing (not well), Hibari found it unusual that the voice didn't bother him. In fact, the room seemed not…quieter, but all the noises blunted. Everything seemed a little out of focus, a little less sharp and excruciating to the ears. He drank a little of the cold punch, hoping it would clear his head.

That's when he realized.

There was a sharp burn in his throat, not particular painful, but enough for Hibari to recognize what he was drinking. He wasn't sure exactly what type it was, but someone had spiked the punch with alcohol. That was why everyone seemed over happy and energetic. They were drunk. The room was hot and loud and they must have drank cup after cup of the punch without realizing what it was. Hibari hadn't been able to tell at first with the baseball herbivore, because he always seemed drunk, but the change was clear with the dynamite herbivore. The change was clear with everyone else now. They were all slurring and stumbling into each other, and all being incredibly over the top. Hibari had just thought that was normal herbivorous party behavior.

Everything swayed for a second, and Hibari almost stumbled. He didn't, out of sheer willpower, but that almost made him uncomfortable. The room was blurry in places, only a mix of light and sound, nothing specific. He did, however, see Tsunayoshi come out of the crowd, and refill his cup. Hibari tried to warn him, but everything was so slow, but fast at the same time. Tsunayoshi had already downed his entire cup by the time Hibari could have said anything. Hibari tried to move over to Tsunayoshi, but his body wasn't cooperating.

Somehow, he made it over to touch Tsunayoshi's shoulder. The petite boy turned to look at him curiously, and Hibari was shocked by how clear Tsunayoshi's eyes seemed, and how lucid he was.

_Hibari-san?_

"The punch…was spiked." Hibari did his best to explain, and was saved from complete failure when the baby hopped up onto Tsunayoshi's shoulder.

_Reborn? What's going on?_

"He's right, Tsuna. Bianchi spiked the punch a while ago. Didn't you notice how drunk everyone was?" Tsuna's eyes widened with realization. He had realized something was wrong, but didn't know what. Reborn grinned. "What I'm more concerned with is the fact that you've already had four full cups of it and you're completely lucid. That punch is _at least_ 65% alcohol. Hibari seems to have had a cup and he's already drunk." Tsuna turned over to Hibari, who seemed to be swaying where he stood, eyes clouded. When it seemed like Hibari was really struggling not to fall over or walk into something, Tsuna set his cup down and moved over to him, steadying the prefect.

_Why didn't you tell me?_ Reborn shrugged.

"Because this is funny. Have fun you two." He said, winking and bouncing away happily. Tsuna was tempted to throw the ladle to the punchbowl at him, but reconsidered since that seemed mean. Instead, he decided to focus on Hibari, who was drunk and not enjoying it.

"Get me out of here, Tsunayoshi." Hibari grunted, and Tsuna helped support him, took his hand, and led him out of the room. Normally, he would have just taken him to the other room, but Dino and Bianchi seemed to be in the middle of a drunken, heated make-out session and Tsuna wasn't sure he wanted to interrupt that. So he led Hibari upstairs. Surprisingly, Ieyoshi wasn't up there and Tsuna had to wonder where he was, but just led Hibari to his room. He let Hibari sit down on his bed, groaning and rubbing his head.

Reaching over, Tsuna grabbed his wastebasket in case Hibari needed to hurl. He set it near the bed. When Tsuna looked back up, Hibari grabbed his arm and pulled him over, seeming less lucid than ever. Tsuna was very, very close to him, and it made his face flame in embarrassment. Reaching up, Hibai pulled Tsuna's head down, so they could be face to face. Hibari leaned forward a little, talking in Tsuna's ear.

"Shouldn't be with…..that….annoying, red-headed herbivore….annoying herbivores…should be with….carnivore…omnivore…" Tsuna couldn't really understand most of what Hibari was saying, since it was slurred and Hibari really was very drunk, so it probably didn't make much sense in the first place.

"I think I'll go get you some water, Hibari-san…" Tsuna muttered, pulling away. However, Hibari wasn't finished, and he pulled back on Tsuna, just a little too strongly, because Tsuna yelped and went toppling onto the taller boy. They landed sprawled out on Tsuna's bed, Tsuna on top of Hibari, in an increasingly awkward position. Tsuna lifted his head from Hibari's chest, blushing, glancing up at the unfocused prefect, whose mouth was opening and closing as he tried to find words to say.

Hibari himself didn't really know what he was thinking then; he would never really need to anyways, because that moment would be forever blacked out from his memory, due to the fact that he was extremely drunk, way underage, so he wouldn't have been able to handle it, and that Hibari had a shockingly below average tolerance for alcohol anyways.

There was an awkward moment for Tsuna and it seemed like Hibari was struggling to say something. Tsuna gave him a careful look, and said as clearly as he could,

"Hibari-san, you should go to sleep. You can tell me tomorrow." Hibari blinked up at him, still not cognizant of what was going on, but somehow, Tsuna had gotten the message through. He simply nodded, and let his head fall back for a second. Tsuna followed his eyes to the ceiling, curious as to what Hibari was thinking about, or at least trying to. After a moment, Hibari abruptly sat up, pretty much dumping Tsuna into his lap and partway onto the bed. Hibari swung his legs over the side of the bed, like he was about to get up, but as he did, Tsuna saw his eyes go more unfocused than before, and he fell back, unconscious.

XXXX

The next morning sucked. For everyone. They were _all_ hungover, including Hibari. Upon waking up early and going around the house to check on everyone, Tsuna found that Hibari was awake and crabby. The prefect was nauseous, angry, and in pain. Tsuna just sort of offered him some aspirin and water, which Hibari took, before angrily storming out of the house.

Tsuna willingly took care of everyone else, trying to help them as best he could, and trying to ignore Reborn laughing hysterically. Apparently, Reborn and Fon thought that they should have known; not only would the Dying Will Flames and Hyper Intuition make Tsuna stronger against getting drunk than regular people, but there had been clear records of the fact that Vongola Primo, Giotto, had a disturbingly high alcohol tolerance. If you tracked it, that trait had definitely skipped a few generations (i.e. it skipped Iemitsu who got drunk easier than a small animal with vodka), but it was a family thing, Reborn guessed. It seemed like Tsuna inherited it.

Which, Reborn supposed, was just Tsuna's genetics being fair. Tsuna had most definitely not won the genetic lottery- he was petite, girlish, not a strong immune system, if not for his Dying Will Flames (they would strengthen him in the future), and a nonviolent, peaceful nature he had gotten from his mother, even though he was obviously an easy target. Reborn liked to think that the alcohol tolerance was a way of his body trying to put up a defense mechanism. Most likely not genetically accurate, but if the shoe fits.

After everyone had been sent home with tea, aspirin, a warm blanket, and profuse apologies from Tsuna, both Reborn and Bianchi took the opportunity to laugh together at the predicament. Tsuna just glared at them and went to bed.

XXXX

It was raining.

Tsuna thought the rain was very fitting- the sun shining across a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds would have gotten him angry. It was not the time for that kind of weather. Instead, the sky was dark and raining, with a heavy atmosphere. You could see the hazy mist in the distance, and everything seemed to wilt with grief at the cemetery.

It was Haruka's funeral.

It was a public event- the parents had chosen it to be that way so the community could come. Tsuna felt terrible for them. He had discovered that three years ago, out of the blue, someone had just kidnapped their son. That "someone" was Estraneo, but they had been holding on to the desperate hope that he was somehow alive. Instead, they got a body with the lie that he had died minutes before first responders could get there. It was true in a way; Bel had called for help and back up, and only minutes later did they come. They just weren't exactly first responders.

But it was really sick. They had been so close, _so close_, to getting their son back. Maybe not well, but alive. But no. They had to lose him instead.

They were laying the coffin into the ground, with people standing around it, crying. The parents were clutching each other sobbing, hard. Tsuna was in the back, with the people who never knew the deceased one personally, but came to pay their respects anyways.

He hadn't brought any of his friends, hadn't told anyone he was going. Still, he was pretty sure Yamamoto and Hibari knew where he was going. Haruka's death was different for him. He had died in his arms.

When the actual service part concluded, Tsuna waited for people to move so he could lay the bouquet of flowers on Haruka's grave. While he was doing so, he felt a tap at his shoulder. He blinked, and turned to see who it was. To his surprise, it was the parents, rubbing red eyes and wiping away tears.

"They told us you were with him." The father said, a little more together than the mother. Tsuna glanced to where the father had flicked his eyes. Sure enough, there were a few men in suits on the fringes, a small Varia emblem on their suit pocket. Tsuna looked back to the parents, his voice low and quiet.

"How much did they tell you?" The father's hands immediately balled up into fists.

"That there is an entire organization of sick bastards going around and doing experiments on children." He hiccupped, a few tears streaming down his face. "That Haruka wasn't the only one and you were one of the people to help get rid of this particular facility. And you stayed with him when he died." Tsuna found it curious that they didn't mention that there had been other kids trapped there. Others that did survive. Tsuna had helped save those kids, and he was glad. But he had failed to save one that was right in front of him. But he supposed it would have killed the parents inside to know that others survived when their son did not. It just wasn't fair. Anyways, Tsuna nodded.

"Th-thank you." The mother choked out, trembling. "Thank you for being there for our little boy." Tears pricked at Tsuna's eyes, but he blinked them back. Tsuna nodded.

"What's your name?" The father asked.

"Suzuki Tsunayoshi." Tsuna answered, remembering the alias Hibari had supplied him with. He just couldn't take the risk with the Varia. The father nodded, and looked at Tsuna solemnly.

"I don't know why you were part of the team attacking that god-forsaken place, but there are more, I know that for sure." Tsuna knew what the father was asking.

"I'm hunting them down." He said truthfully. "I'm going to find them." The word _them_ needed no specification.

"If you do…." Tears ran down the mother's face. "Kill them." Tsuna faced the heartbroken mother and simply nodded. Maybe he wouldn't kill them. He probably wouldn't. But she needed that. With that, the parents left. Tsuna turned back to Haruka's grave. There was no gravestone yet. He approached the plot. The grave wasn't completely filled yet, so most people had just been placing them near it. Tsuna set his flowers down

_You really didn't deserve this, Haruka._


	18. Chapter 18

Song is called Bird Song by Florence + the Machine

And I think I may have missed a song somewhere in the last two chapters or so? If you notice anything please let me know

Enjoy!

XXXX

"Very good, Tsunayoshi-kun." Fon said, after shortly attacking Tsuna. Tsuna had managed to dodge our block a surprising amount of the blows, despite not landing any of his own. But then again, Fon was on a different level. Tsuna smiled. "You're getting better."

_I still haven't beaten Hibari-san._ Fon shrugged.

"None of us expect you to, Tsunayoshi-kun. I was told to cut this session short and send you to Reborn, so it is about time you head to Reborn's training ground." Tsuna nodded. "I heard you have been training with a rifle." Tsuna nodded again. "How is that going?"

"Pretty well. My aim is improving." Tsuna admitted. "And I'm more used to the weight." Fon smiled.

"Now, head over. I will have a few new training ideas devised for tomorrow, so you can tell me what you think of them then." Tsuna nodded back and headed over to Reborn's training ground. Reborn was waiting for him there, in the rocky, valley-like area. Tsuna glanced around. According to his friends, this was basically where he had scorched the place. He couldn't remember it, really. All he remembered was Yamamoto getting shot, being horrifically angry, and then it was all heat and fire. He shuddered at the memory. It frightened him a little. There had been something strange about that flame; he had talked to Reborn about Dying Will Flames before, and he felt like he knew what a Sky flame should feel like. But that flame….had been different.

Reborn gave Tsuna a demonic smile.

"Why, good afternoon, Dame-Tsuna." Tsuna froze. That was the tone Reborn used when he was about to torture Ieyoshi. Suddenly, a knife came flying at Tsuna. He threw himself to the side, dodging it. It landed in the ground, and Reborn gave him an expression that clearly said, _pick it up._ Hesitantly, Tsuna reached over to do so. He held it by the handle, examining it. "That is Vongola Primo's childhood blade." Tsuna squeaked, realizing that Reborn had thrown a priceless family heirloom at him. And it had landed in the _dirt._ Reborn rolled his eyes. "Relax, Dame-Tsuna. This thing will outlast Vongola. It won't be broken just because I threw it at some loser's head." Tsuna still couldn't believe that Reborn would treat the knife like that. Not because of its monetary value, but its sentimental value. It was a big deal to be holding Primo's first knife.

"Tsuna, let me tell you a story." Tsuna looked up to see Reborn dressed in a pin-striped suit and a pseudo-Vongola-mantle. He jumped. Reborn now had on a blonde wig with a cheesy flame on it. Was Reborn really cosplaying as Primo? "When I was a child-,"

_But you're not Primo._ Tsuna dodged a kick to the head.

"Quiet, young'un. I didn't ask for your opinion. When I was a child, we were not given guns. I was never able to handle a gun. However, I did get my hands on a knife; it was a very durable one, and through this, I was able to originally release and control my Dying Will flame. Eventually, I discovered how to release it on my own and later on created the Dying Will bullet." In a flurry, Reborn switched back to his normal outfit. "Most of the Vongola bosses were taught with Dying Will bullets, but their flame is impure because of that. Secondo couldn't use his Dying Will flames originally, and got very frustrated and angry about it. He was attacked once, and he became so furious that his Dying Will flames activated, but they were the Flames of Wrath. This was before they realized how to teach people with Dying Will bullets, and then the rest of the line used Dying Will bullets to train but because they were all descendants of Secondo, their flame was forever tainted by the first Flame of Wrath."

" Primo's line, however, is pure. I use the Dying Will bullets to train Ieyoshi, since his flames were also sealed as a child, but have stayed that way. The Dying Will bullet helps him release it in short bursts to get used to it and handle it. Yours, however, have already burst out. If you're going to use them, using the knife to channel them out first will help you manage them until you can do it on your own. Besides, you're fighting technique is similar to Primo's. In addition, you'll want to learn how to use a knife one day. There may come a time when all you have to fight with is your hands and a steak knife." Reborn explained. Tsuna glanced down at the short, sharp blade in his hands. It was most definitely _not_ a steak knife.

The knife had about an eight inch blade, with a handle that had clear grips in it made a long time ago. The blade itself was clean; Reborn had probably cleaned it. The handle was black, but it definitely looked like it had been used. Tsuna was stunned by how such a simple blade could have belonged to Primo- this looked like the sort of thing kids at his school stole from restaurants to parade around and threaten underclassmen with. Dangerous if used correctly, but not particularly stunning.

_It just looks so…normal._ Tsuna admitted. Reborn snorted.

"What did you expect? Something intricate and expensive? When he started Vongola, Primo was fourteen and broke. He wasn't armed with any fancy weapons, or big corporations and business deals. He was armed with a knife and friends willing to die for him and his cause. Nothing more, nothing less. That was all. And look what he did." Tsuna inspected the blade again, and at the base of the handle, he found initials carved in- G. R. He wondered what they stood for, but according to every database Tsuna could find, no one actually knew what Primo's last name had been. Once Vongola was up and running, and a global superpower, he had dropped his last name. The only names they had for him were Primo and Giotto.

"So you want me to use this knife to release my flames." Reborn nodded.

"Finally. You're getting with it." Tsuna tilted his head to the side.

_How?_ Reborn grinned.

"I was hoping you'd ask that."

Three hours later, Tsuna was bruised and beaten, and in his desperation to protect himself from Reborn's tyranny, the blade had lit up with flames for half a second, twice. At first, they flared out dangerously, but the next moment, they sputtered and disappeared. It was really pissing Reborn off that Tsuna had touched his flames, but couldn't hold onto them. Normally, Tsuna would have been disappointed in himself too, but he was too sore and frightened by Reborn's foul mood to be disappointed in himself.

"Now, since you can't seem to hold onto one stupid flame, I want you to sit down in that corner with the knife and think about what you've done." Reborn ordered. Tsuna gave him a wide-eyed look.

_Huh?!_

"Emotionally connect with it or something. I don't know. Just figure it out." Reborn hopped away, but left a menacing air, like he would know if Tsuna didn't go sit in the corner and would punish him severly for it. Tsuna sighed, and walked over dejectedly to sit down next to a large boulder. He still had the knife with him, and since Reborn had literally sent him into the corner with nothing to do, he took another opportunity to examine it.

It was a very practical blade; he could see that. He could imagine a million uses for it. Tsuna held it out in his palms. He still felt very uncomfortable about holding it, but not for the same reason as he had three hours ago. Before, he felt uncomfortable because it was a priceless Vongola family heirloom and he had dropped it so many times it was embarrassing. But now, he realized, he felt uncomfortable holding it because it had been an important object to Primo. And not because Primo was Primo, but because it had been close to someone. The knife had been well-loved; there were knicks in the blade, the initials in the handle, and the worn path of fingers on it. Someone had truly loved this blade, and it had been important to them. It was very personal, and even though Primo was long dead, Tsuna felt like he was invading the man's privacy.

"I'm really sorry this wasn't buried with you." Tsuna whispered. If he could, he wanted to at least place this knife by Primo's tomb, if possible. Tsuna was just thinking that he would be extremely uncomfortable with some descendant of his having his IPod long after he was dead. That sounded material, but like with the knife, the reason it made him uncomfortable wasn't because of the actual physical object. It was the memories and emotions that went with it. Tsuna couldn't count how many times he had clutched his IPod, hands slippery with his own blood, putting in his headphones, crying silently and searching for reasons not to kill himself. Trying to pull himself together and holding his music close, thinking, _Things have to get better. They have to. Maybe not tomorrow, but eventually. _It was his, and his alone. If he had one possession of his own in the world, that was it and he didn't like the idea of anyone else touching it. He couldn't imagine how Primo would be feeling now if he was alive, watching his knife be handed off by merciless Mafiosi. "I'll get it back to you." He set the knife in his lap, and tangled his fingers in his hair, suppressing a sigh.

Tsuna had to figure out a way to use his Dying Will flames. He had known that from the start. There was no way he was going to be able to fight Estraneo without them. But he couldn't do this; this wasn't working. How on Earth had Primo used the knife to awaken his flame? Tsuna knew he could do it, awaken his flame, that is. He just didn't know how.

He'd find another way, if he needed to. Besides, he didn't like the idea of using someone else's personal object to do it. He could find another option.

Oh.

_I am an idiot._

He couldn't believe how long it had taken him to realize it. That was exactly the point of this- _a personal object._ Primo had been emotionally attached to this object, for whatever reason, and had used it as a source of powerful emotion. Tsuna suspected it had to with the fact that he had the Sky flame wave, but he could practically feel the thrum of emotions radiating off of the knife when he lit it up with his own. That had just been channeling, but he could swear he had touched on some remnants of flame. Some old energy, and that was why he knew the blade had once been a very important object to Primo. _That was how he would use his flame._

Emotion.

It was kind of obvious, really. Tsuna's flame, according to Reborn, had originally come out when he was a child (this was the time that it was sealed). He had been told that he had tripped, and like any other toddler, he freaked out and started crying and just sort of turned into a fireball of childhood pain. His flames had been immediately sealed afterwards, for everyone's safety. Tsuna was a little mad about having his flames sealed, since that seemed like a big deal. It was like chopping off a part of yourself. But he could see why his father and Nono had done it. It just wasn't safe. A papercut could make him burn his house down. But what Tsuna assumed to be the true reason for his flame activating at that time was the strong surge of emotion. Fear. As a toddler, he probably hadn't known his safety could be threatened, and that was something new and frightening. So out came the flame. It was weird. He didn't actually remember the incident, which he found surprising, because he had discovered that he had a strikingly clear memory of his childhood most of the time. There were just a few sections of it that were hazy, and the rest of was crystal clear.

But anyways, his flame had come out again from fear, when Yamamoto had broken his ribs and Ieyoshi had almost drowned him. He had been afraid that he was going to die, that he was going to leave Yamamoto behind and he freaked out, which activated his flame. And then again, when Yamamoto was shot. That time, it was most definitely anger. Ever since Reborn had mentioned the Flame of Wrath, that explained it. That's why his flame felt funny, and why it had left a nasty taste in his mouth for about a week afterwards. Tsuna couldn't produce a Flame of Wrath; he just couldn't. He didn't have the wrathful potential for it. Anger turned his Sky flames impure.

Tsuna had the potential for a lot of other flames, and he knew that. All Skies did. They were Sky; they were harmony. Tsuna had looked into Verde's research, and as far as he could tell, Sky was actual the merging of all of the flames. The individual, unique aspects of each flame melted away to create another, but people who were open, accepting, they had a little bit of each wave. That was how it started, at least, and then as time went on, they merged together into one wave.

Sky flames were like Night flames; hybrid flames that only a few people could wield. But over time, Sky flames had become more common. It wasn't something you worked to control and make. It began to become something that people were born with. People seemed to forget a lot though, that skies can turn dark in a second. A Sky is harmony, but it is also volatile and dangerous when provoked. That was when you could see the other things- Storm, or Cloud, or Thunder.

Tsuna thought the whole thing was a little weird, but the emergence of the Sky flame, the emergence of one person simply accepting things as they were, it was important. All the other elements, Tsuna thought, needed a center to keep them anchored. And then, it really wasn't that surprising when you thought about it. That the other flames had created a merged one. They needed someone who could accept all of them and be their center. They needed the Sky flame. So subconsciously, they created it. And then the flame evolved from there, to stand on its own and create its own abilities. It was like that first person with all the waves just needed the push in the right direction to reach out and grab what it needed.

People with Sky couldn't access other flames abilities, anymore, of course. That was just too much for one person to handle, and according to research, also one of the reasons why the flames had merged into one. Someone with equal power in all waves…flames like that would simply tear you apart.

And he thought that was why all those other flames had appeared when he had been pushed beyond his limits. No one should be pushed that far, to do that sort of thing. His flame became unstable. It broke up and fell apart. It actually didn't have any of the qualities of the different flames. There wasn't enough of each flame left to replicate the abilities. The flames just looked like it.

But the point was, that this anger, this emotion, was what had gotten him to use his flames. He just needed something to trigger that. Tsuna picked up the knife and grabbed the sheath for it that Reborn had left behind. He sheathed it, and set it on the ground next to him, before reaching over and pulling his IPod from his bag.

Would it work?

Maybe. Hopefully. Probably not. But hey, he was allowed to dream, wasn't he?

He held it gently in one hand, and closed his eyes. He was going to try to aim for a safe emotion to begin with. Something powerful, but nostalgic. No terror, no ferocity, just an odd sense of calm and maybe a little bit of sadness. He tried to look back on all the times he had sat on his bed and listened to music, singing, and trying to shake off the hurt of the day. As he thought about it, the feeling he had been going for filled him. It wasn't like when he had been angry- that had been the sensation of a burning flame filling him from head to toe, ready to burst and destroy everything around him. Like there had been heat crackling right under his skin. Instead, it was cool, and gentle, and relaxing.

And then a short flash of heat. Not uncomfortable, just foreign, and a gentle, pleasant pressure in his head. Tsuna opened his eyes, feeling different. Not only that, but the world looked different. Before, the world had been stark and bright, but now, it was dull in some places and bright in the others. He didn't know how to explain it. He looked down at his hands. Normal. No flames. But he knew there was a flame on his forehead. He glanced to the side, at the knife, not moving or unfolding his legs. There, as before, but it seemed brighter now, and he could sense the old remnants of Sky flames on it. Primo's.

His head swiveled as he looked around. The world was so different, so amazing, but he couldn't find any other emotion besides the quiet, nostalgic , half-faded grief. He felt…nothing. He had nothing. Just his quiet tears and the sky above. And he finally understood the Dying Will flames. People assumed that your Dying Will came from the fact that you didn't want to lose everything you had. But that wasn't true. He had everything to gain and nothing to lose in that moment. It was wonderful and tragic at the same time.

His Dying Will slowly began to dissipate- he could feel it fading. Slowly, and then faster and faster, until it was nothing but a fleeting feeling, and everything was normal again. The same rush of feelings that came with being human returned, and Tsuna sighed in relief. Actually, he felt a little woozy, and had a little bit of a headache. He wanted to go and take a nap.

A clap made him turn his head to see Reborn walking over, grinning.

"You got it."

"You knew I would." Tsuna responded immediately. Reborn shrugged.

"I expect a lot out of you." Tsuna picked up the knife. As he was about to offer it back to Reborn, Reborn said, "I'm sure Primo would be a lot more comfortable with a civilian handling his knife than a hitman. Besides, you're blood, and probably the most respectable blood in a while." Tsuna looked at the sheathed knife for a moment before tucking it into his bag.

_Can I go home?_

"Tired?" Tsuna nodded. Reborn nodded back.

"Go. And sleep. You've adjusted enough so that you don't feel extreme pain when you use your Dying Will flames, but it's going to make you very tired for a while."

XXXX

"Tsuna-kun!" Shouichi waved to get Tsuna's attention. They were in the shopping mall area of Namimori. Shouichi had told Tsuna how a friend of his from kindergarten had to get his house fumigated and asked if he could stay with Shouichi. Tsuna spotted Shouichi at a table, and next to him was a boy with floppy red hair, and crimson eyes filled with a dejected sadness. The boy had several bandages on his face. Despite this, Tsuna smiled at the both of them and rushed over. He sat down across the table, sliding the strap of his bag off of his shoulder. "This is my friend, Kozato Enma. Enma-kun, this is Sawada Tsuna." Tsuna smiled gently at the other boy and held a hand out to shake. Enma took it, with a quiet, timid,

"Nice to meet you." It was times like these that Tsuna wished he could talk to people or friends, even, when he first met them, but he just couldn't force his throat to open up and talk. For a response, Tsuna pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and quickly scribbled,

_I'm sorry, I've just finally gotten used to talking to people that I know, please don't be offended if I can't talk to you immediately. I try, but I just…can't. _He handed it to Enma, who read it, and flicked his eyes up to Tsuna.

"You don't talk?"

"Not really." Shouichi added in for them. "Don't worry, Enma-kun, it's not you. My apologies, Tsuna-kun, but at school, they've been referring to him as "the freaky mute kid" for years now. He's getting better though." Shouichi gave a hopeful expression to Tsuna, who nodded confidently. Enma gave Tsuna an interesting look.

"Oh. That's okay, Tsuna-san. So what are we going to do today, Shouichi-kun?" Shouichi shrugged.

"I was going to originally say laser tag or something but Tsuna-kun is bad with crowds." Tsuna frowned. He wasn't generally bad with crowds; he was just very much reminded of the school setting and the old torment. Besides, people always wanted him to talk and….no. Besides, he hated stuff like that. Being put on the spot. Being asked a question in school, defense in laser tag, ordering off a menu….But Shouichi didn't have to say it like that. He'd only had a panic attack in front of Shouichi _once_.

He didn't have panic attacks commonly, but now that Tsuna was slowly adjusting to more people, he found he got overwhelmed easily. Before, he would just tune them out apathetically, since he didn't particularly care whether he lived or died, but now he had people in his life that he cared about. He was better and viewing life in a different light, but that apparently came with a whole new set of problems. He could handle school; he was there often enough to be able to block people out. But that day he had went to the parts store with Shouichi? He'd lasted about six minutes of people pressing in on him before he had to go outside and have a small panic attack.

"Tsuna-kun, don't pout. You had a panic attack. At that time at the Apple Store too." Tsuna scowled. Tsuna was helping Shouichi and Spanner out with their robot, and they had decided to go into the Apple Store, just to see if they could use any Apple technology for a basis. Unfortunately, a woman had come over, smiling and cheerful, and started asking Tsuna about what he wanted, and telling him about the new Apple products, and then waiting for him to say something and he just….Shouichi had to answer for him and then when the lady walked away, Tsuna had gone sprinting out of the Apple Store. This was why before, when Tsuna didn't talk to people _at all_, he hadn't gone anywhere. Literally. He went three places, total. Home, school, and occasionally a park. His friends took it slow at first, but Tsuna sort of felt like he was holding them back, so he tried to go to new places more often, and since Shouichi was probably just as dame as he was, he felt comfortable confronting his fears.

Enma gave a small smile though as Shouichi quickly recounted the story to Enma. Enma laughed a little, and then apologized to Tsuna.

"So I think we're going to just go over to the hardware store. I need to pick up some duct tape, and then we can go from there." Shouichi explained. Tsuna considered this. He could probably do that. He nodded at Shouichi to let him know.

"Okay then." Enma said quietly.

Twelve minutes later, Shouichi had gone to pay and left Enma and Tsuna browsing the abundant duct tape aisle of the store. While they were waiting for him to come back, a worker there came over, yelling something about hooligans and Enma's hair color. Tsuna suspected that it was real; Enma seemed foreign, which was probably why he spoke Japanese with a slight accent. But the lady did not know and set off straight on a rant that shut both Enma and Tsuna's mouth with a click, as they stood there, heads dropped, not sure what to do.

"AND LET ME TELL YOU ANOTHER THING-," Frightened, Tsuna could sense Enma shuddering next to him. There was really no way of dealing with this. Tsuna could tell that Enma was initially a very shy person, so talking back was not an option for either of them. Interrupting a "righteous" woman would only make her angrier, and running away would do the same. So they just sort of stood there.

When she finished, she planted her hands on her hips, and demanded,

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" The yelling had rendered Enma mute and Tsuna was already there, so Tsuna did the only thing they could do. He grabbed Enma's wrist and high-tailed it out of there. They stopped outside the store, exchanging glances.

"I didn't know what to do." Enma said in a small voice. Tsuna shook his head and made a face.

_I didn't know either. _He wrinkled his nose and screwed up his eyes, making Enma laugh a little. Tsuna smiled. In a few seconds, Shouichi came out of the store, an expectant look on his face.

"I heard the yelling and I assumed you ran out in fear." Tsuna put his hands on his hips, and gave Shouichi a pouty look.

_It wasn't fear, per se, just slight panic._ Shouichi snorted.

"If that's what you'd like to think." He pushed his glasses up, which Tsuna found surprisingly sassy. The funniest thing about being friends with someone that was also shy meant that being around someone even shyer than you helped to force people out of their shells. For example, Shouichi was already a little more open, since Tsuna was too shy and mute. Shouichi opened up to accommodate. Tsuna stuck his tongue out.

They walked down the sidewalk, in the end, heading towards the park, where hopefully there wouldn't be many people. As they were walking, Enma said,

"So, Shouichi's told me a little bit about the prefect at your school, Hibari Kyoya." Tsuna's face went as red as Enma's hair, and Shouichi looked at him curiously.

"Why do you look so red, Tsuna-kun?" Tsuna just shook his head and covered his face with his hands. Oh God. He couldn't verbalize how embarrassed he was right then. "It is something about Hibari-san?" Tsuna shook his head again, but it was clear to both of them that it was.

"I heard he was terrifying and beats people up." Enma said, with a note of fear in his voice. Shouichi nodded.

"He does." Tsuna was going to try to defend Hibari a little, because Hibari really was not that bad of a person when you got to know him, but the words, "terrifying and beats people up" described him perfectly.

"That sounds scary." Shouichi nodded again, furiously.

"He is! I'm always so terrified of him, even if I haven't done anything wrong. Everyone is. Right, Tsuna-kun?" Tsuna looked down, twisting his arms. "Tsuna-kun?" Shouichi wondered.

"Are you not afraid of him?" Enma asked softly. Tsuna shrugged. They took that as a yes; that Tsuna wasn't afraid of him.

"Really?" Shouichi sounded awed and surprised. Tsuna shrugged again. He took out his phone and typed,

_He's not a bad person._ And showed it to the two of them. Shouichi frowned.

"But he attacks innocent people."

_But he never really hurts anyone who doesn't deserve it._ Tsuna showed them. _He gets hurt a lot too, and from actually protecting Namimori from yakuza and stuff. I guess I can't really blame him for being on edge when he has to face down people with guns all the time._ Enma considered this.

"Japanese gangs?" Shouichi sighed.

"Essentially, I guess. But I didn't really realize that Hibari actually fought back threats. I mean, you don't usually see the bad stuff in Namimori because he beats it down before we can see it." Tsuna nodded enthusiastically. That's what he meant. Thinking, Tsuna decided to get off the topic of Hibari. He typed,

_Enma-san, how long will you be staying here? _

"I don't really know. My family planned to move out here anyways soon, we might decide to move early."

_That would be nice!_ Enma gave a small smile.

"I could see you more often!" Shouichi said happily.

_How do you two know each other anyways?_

"Oh, we were at the same school for a short time and we always got picked on because we were clumsy and geeky and easy targets." Shouichi explained. Enma gave a stiff, quiet nod.

"I've been called Loser Enma a lot." He admitted.

_My nickname has been Dame-Tsuna since preschool. No good Tsuna. Nice to know I'm not alone._ Enma's face relaxed.

"I guess useless people tend to group together." Shouichi said, bright red as he realized that they were all kind of clumsy and dame in their own way.

_Hibari-san would call us crowding herbivores right now._

"We could start a club. The Crowding Herbivores."

_That would make him really mad. But it would be kind of funny._

"And a little bit true." Enma confessed. Because they all knew that there was no one more herbivorous than them. Tsuna had been training and all, and Hibari had called him a carnivore, but he knew that at his core, he was a clumsy, shy, hopeful herbivore and he was okay with that. Shouichi laughed a little, and Tsuna smiled.

"What are you three laughing about?" Came the sharp voice, and Tsuna's eyes widened. He spun around to face his twin. And Ieyoshi looked _mad._ Tsuna really hadn't seen him much for a while. Sure, they passed in the halls and all, but they didn't come face to face that much recently.

"Sawada-kun." Shouichi said, a small tremble in his voice. Enma looked back and forth from the two of them, realizing that the boy in front of them did not mean well.

"I asked what you three are laughing about, freak." Ieyoshi snapped. Tsuna would still prefer to hide, but this was his brother and his responsibility. He took a step forward, and shook his head seriously at Ieyoshi.

_ No, Ieyoshi. Not here._

"I'll do whatever the hell I want, Dame-Tsuna." Ieyoshi snarled and shoved him roughly to the side. Enma's eyes widened. "Who are you, freak? I haven't seen you around." He demanded of Enma.

"K-kozato E-enma. I'm a f-friend of Shouichi-kun's." Enma stuttered out.

"Look at how pathetic you are, can't even say your own name without stuttering." Ieyoshi remarked sharply, and Enma looked down. Ieyoshi reached forward and shoved Enma, hard. "Look at me when I'm talking to you." Enma flicked his eyes up, frightened. Ieyoshi had an intimidating presence.

"Leave him alone." Shouichi suddenly said, feeling like he had to stand up for his shyer friends. Ieyoshi wheeled on him, and Shouichi shuddered, scared by the icy look in Ieyoshi's eyes. Tsuna grabbed Ieyoshi's arm, and Ieyoshi immediately spun around, clubbing him in the side of the head and knocking him away. Tsuna stumbled back, his hand going to his face.

"Did I ask for your opinion, Dame-Tsuna? No, I didn't. Now go kill yourself or something." Ieyoshi glanced back at the other two. "You two too. You're a waste of space and you might as well just _die._" Tsuna stepped in between the cowering Enma and his brother, and Ieyoshi gritted his teeth. "You're just asking for it, aren't you, Dame-Tsuna?" Tsuna lifed his chin defiantly back.

_Leave them alone. Attack me if you want, but leave them alone._

"Oh, so you'd stand in their place?" Tsuna nodded without hesitation.

"Tsuna-san, maybe you shouldn't-," Enma started, but Ieyoshi lashed out, quickly, and struck Tsuna in the stomach. Tsuna doubled over and Ieyoshi slammed his elbow onto Tsuna's clavicle. Guess those lessons with Fon taught him something.

Tsuna didn't want to fight back. He knew he could, easily. But he wasn't an animal; he refused to attempt to "assert his dominance" like Ieyoshi tried to. It was ridiculous, and he knew he was above that. Besides, he had taken a million beatings and he didn't mind taking one more for his friends. And he wouldn't let himself get seriously hurt anyways.

"Tsuna-kun!" Shouichi exclaimed, before clapping a hand over his mouth. Tsuna straightened up, glaring at Ieyoshi, who nailed him with a hit to the jaw. Tsuna's head snapped to the side and Ieyoshi kneed him in the ribcage, hard, before stepping on his foot and punching him in the throat swiftly. It wasn't particularly hard, but Tsuna took a second of gasping and breathing loudly, stepping away from Ieyoshi. Ieyoshi made a beeline for Enma. He had bullied Shouichi and Tsuna before, so Tsuna assumed that the targeting of Enma was for Ieyoshi to assert his dominance again, like a filthy, rabid, animal.

"So, Loser Enma, how long are you going to be around?" Ieyoshi chose to punctuate his sentence with a punch aimed straight at Enma. Tsuna grabbed Ieyoshi's hand and arm before it could make contact, and jerked it to the side. "YOU LITTLE FREAK!" Ieyoshi yelled, reaching to pry his brother off his arm, but when the second arm came for him, Tsuna, grabbed Ieyoshi's hand and sank his teeth into it, deeply. Ieyoshi shrieked in pain, and Tsuna released him, watching his brother stumble back. "YOU LITTLE SHIT I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC LITTLE FRIENDS!" Ieyoshi screeched, and lunged for Tsuna again.

Since Ieyoshi had threatened his friends, Tsuna had no qualms about defending himself and them.

This time, when Ieyoshi came for Tsuna, Tsuna put a hand on Ieyoshi's arm, swinging underneath it and almost against Ieyoshi, where he elbowed him in the stomach, stepped on his foot, and flipped him over his shoulder, using momentum to slam the younger twin against the ground, hard. Ieyoshi gasped as he struck, eyes filled with pain and surprise, staring up at the sky. Tsuna really didn't want any more trouble, so he grabbed Enma and Shouichi's wrists, and pulled them away from the scene.

They ran after their friend, running around the corner and into a small alley. It couldn't really be called an alley, since it led to a little shop tucked away between two other ones and it was relatively sunny, but they slipped into there to hide from Ieyoshi. Enma stared at Tsuna in awe.

"How did you do that, Tsuna-san?" Tsuna looked at his feet, rubbing his throat uncomfortably.

"Tsuna-kun was taught to defend himself." Shouichi explained. Tsuna knew that Shouichi hadn't made the connection between Tsuna and Ieyoshi yet. They were both so different, and Tsuna wasn't the only one with the surname Sawada in the town. It was possible that they weren't related, and Tsuna knew that Shouichi just didn't want to believe it. Enma hadn't connected the dots either. But he looked at Tsuna with shining eyes.

"That was very cool, Tsuna-san!" Tsuna blushed, and typed into his phone,

_Just Tsuna is fine._ He showed it to Enma and Enma shook his head.

"I couldn't. But I'll call you Tsuna-kun if you call me Enma-kun if you talk to me." Tsuna brightened at Enma, and nodded.

"We should hang out again." Shouichi said. "Just the three of us. It would be fun." Tsuna and Enma were both thrilled by the idea. Tsuna spotted the time on his phone, and showed to his friends;

_I have to go._ Shouichi frowned.

"Really?" Tsuna nodded, and Shouichi sighed, but smiled.

"This was very fun, Tsuna-kun. We can talk at school." Tsuna hugged Shouichi goodbye, and then turned to Enma, who was shyly playing with a ring on his finger.

"Thank you for defending me, Tsuna-kun." Tsuna smiled at Enma and hugged him goodbye too. As he left, he waved at the both of them. He made sure that he passed the area that Ieyoshi was at, so Ieyoshi would follow him and leave Shouichi and Enma alone.

Ieyoshi did follow him, and Tsuna made a beeline home. He went to the backyard, and turned around to face Ieyoshi, who glared at him.

"I swear to God, I'm going to skin you alive, and I'm going to turn those freaky little friends of yours into a pile of blood and bones you little freak-," In an instant, Tsuna was right in front of Ieyoshi, and he slapped him, hard.

"You leave them alone." He ordered. Ieyoshi looked stunned. But he recovered in a moment.

"You would even _dare_ to talk to me after everything that has happened. You sure have a lot of nerve, you disgusting little shit. Just go _kill_ yourself already. You'll do everyone a big favor, since no one wants to hear that screeching little voice of yours. It makes my ears bleed." Ieyoshi snarled back, and Tsuna reacted accordingly.

_"Well, I didn't tell anyone, but a bird flew by."_

_ "Saw what I'd done. He set up a nest outside,_

_ And he sang about, what I'd become._

_ He sang so loud, sang so clear-,"_

"YOU FREAK!" Ieyoshi screeched, and stormed inside the house. But Tsuna wasn't finished, and frustrated with his brother, he followed him inside, continuing the tune, despite the way Ieyoshi was reacting, throwing things around angrily.

_"I was afraid all the neighbours would hear."_

"You're angry because it's true! That you are embarrassed and pathetic!" Tsuna responded. He didn't actually yell, but his voice carried the same weight. He continued with the song.

_"So I invited him in,_

_ Just to reason with him._

_ I promised I wouldn't do it _

_ Again."_

_ "But he sang louder and louder inside the house,_

_ And no, I couldn't get him out._

_ So I trapped him under a cardboard box,_

_ Stood on it to make him stop."_

Ieyoshi spun around, gritting his teeth, and screamed,

"JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!" Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta, Bianchi and Reborn peered into the living room, the room with the piano, to see Tsuna mocking Ieyoshi, and Ieyoshi tangling his fingers in his hair, tugging on it and screaming profanities at his brother. Tsuna didn't raise his voice, but it completely covered Ieyoshi's.

_"I picked up the bird and above the din, I said,_

_ "That's the last song you'll ever sing."_

_ Held him down, broke his neck,_

_ Taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget~"_

Ieyoshi shrieked wordlessly in anger.

_ "But in my dreams, began to creep._

_ That old familiar_

_ Tweet, tweet, tweet."_

_ "I opened my mouth to scream and shout,_

_ I waved my arms and flapped about._

_ But I couldn't scream, and I couldn't shout,_

_ Couldn't scream and I couldn't shout!"_

_ "I opened my mouth to scream and shout!_

_ Waved my arms and flapped about!_

_ Couldn't scream and I couldn't shout!_

_ The song was coming from my mouth!"_

_ "From my mouth,_

_ From my mouth,_

_ From my mouth."_

_ "From my mou-ou-outh._

_ From my mou-ou-outh._

_ From my mou-ou-outh._

_ From my mou-ou-outh!"_

"I HATE YOU!" Ieyoshi screamed, and grabbed Tsuna by the front of his shirt and flung him against the piano. He struck Tsuna once, before turning on his heel, storming out of the room, shouting, "Ugh!"

Reborn and the others scrambled into the room, curious. Tsuna was picking himself up off the floor from where he'd fallen, wiping a little bit of blood off his mouth. He smiled at Reborn and the others.

"It was worth it."

Truer words had never been spoken.

Ieyoshi was so angry with Tsuna singing that song in particular because he was human. It reminded him of his inability to control things, his own pettiness, his own weakness, and that made him very angry


	19. Chapter 19

No song for this one but I'm pretty sure I'm cutting these chapters wrong

Oh well. I guess you guys will just have more but shorter chapters.

Enjoy!

XXXX

"So, Reborn showed me a video." Yamamoto started. Tsuna blinked at him. They were walking in a more broken-down section of Namimori, talking. Hibari had something about Rokudo Mukuro supposedly near there, and they were just heading back from checking it out. They hadn't expected to find anything, and their objective had become less of a "let's stop Mukuro" and more of a "let's burn Estraneo to the ground and safely deliver Mukuro to a jail". They weren't trying to necessarily catch Rokudo; just to keep their town safe.

Tsuna tilted his head to the side.

_What video?_

"Of you becoming the sassmaster to Ieyoshi." Tsuna slapped himself in the face while Yamamoto laughed. "It was pretty funny, Tuna." Tsuna sighed. He still didn't know what had been running through his mind when he had done it. "How have things been with him lately, anyways?" Tsuna shrugged.

"It's been okay. We've been avoiding each other." Tsuna admitted.

"Well, that's better." Yamamoto remarked.

"I don't know. Nothing's actually been resolved." Tsuna tilted his head up to see the sky. It was grey today.

"But you're standing up for yourself. That's better." Tsuna shrugged, and Yamamoto decided to switch subjects. "So, I heard you've been hanging out with Shouichi and that kid who's staying with him, Enma." Tsuna nodded. "Why haven't you introduced them to us yet?" Yamamoto teased. "Are you embarrassed of us?" Tsuna sweatdropped.

"I'm terrified of what you'll do to them." Yamamoto slung an arm around Tsuna, squeezing.

"Aw, don't worry, we'd only eat them alive once." Tsuna sweatdropped again. "It's okay; I know that they are your panic attack buddies." Tsuna's eyes narrowed.

"Who told you about that?" He demanded. Yamamoto laughed, and ruffled Tsuna's hair. Tsuna was trying to act angry, but his face was red.

"Who do you think? The broker of all information, Reborn. But I had to just about sell my soul to get the video for that." Tsuna punched Yamamoto in the ribs half-heartedly. Reborn needed to stop filming him and selling it to people.

"Traitor." He muttered, flushed. Yamamoto snickered. Suddenly, they both felt a spike of killer intent, and froze. They released each other and spun around quickly, to see a boy with a scar across his face and spiky blonde hair in a weird, animal-like position, grinning at Yamamoto. Yamamoto pulled his Shigure Kintoki off his back and stepped in front of Tsuna.

"Let me guess; my number's up?" The boy grinned even wider.

"You can bet your ass it is, byon. I'm going to tear you apart." Yamamoto flashed back a grin of his own.

"We'll see about that. But how about we make a deal? To make this game more interesting?"

"I'm game if you are, byon." Yamamoto glanced back at Tsuna, as if to ask, _Do you trust me?_ Tsuna nodded. He didn't know what Yamamoto had in mind, but he trusted his best friend.

"How about you can directly attack both of us, but if Tsuna and I so much as touch each other, or touch you at the same time, it's game over for me and I have to fight without a sword and without any help?" The blonde boy looked pleased, and Tsuna's eyes widened.

"Let's do this, byon." And there was a strange noise, before the ground beneath them gave away and they found themselves tumbling into a giant hole in the ground. Yamamoto groaned, but climbed to his feet. Tsuna had managed to land on them, though he looked shocked that he had. They looked around, bewildered, and the blonde boy hopped down in front of them, also into the hole. He grinned, and Tsuna realized that he would have the advantage. He knew why Yamamoto wanted them to be able to tag team the blonde boy; they had a better chance of capturing him and the rules were the only way to get the enemy to agree to it. But the enemy had the advantage in close quarters, so this was turning out to be terrible. Tsuna turned and glared at Yamamoto.

_This was a terrible idea._ Yamamoto rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged.

"Sorry, Tuna."

_We better get this guy._

"We will."

"Are you two finished, byon?" Wondered the enemy, sounding irritated.

"Yup." Yamamoto said, drawing out his sword, still smiling. "Let's have some fun, Tsuna." Tsuna nodded. "What's your name anyways? You know ours, but we don't know yours."

"You can call me Ken." The boy responded. He took out what looked like a plastic pair of fangs, and grinned as he placed them in his mouth. Suddenly, his body seemed to change, and the small head of a monkey appeard on his cheek. He seemed harrier, and his fingers curled into claws. "This is my monkey channel."

"Cool." Yamamoto said cheerfully. "You ready?" Ken attacked in response, and Tsuna sprung away from Yamamoto, going towards the other side of the giant hole in the ground. Yamamoto easily blocked Ken's attack with his sword, and manipulating it, freed the blade from Ken's grasp, and swung it towards Ken at such a speed that Ken could barely jump back. A small amount of hair fell to the ground, showing just how close Ken had come. At the same time, Tsuna jumped at Ken from the back. He nailed Ken in the knee, forcing him to the ground, and grabbing his arms, holding them in a lock behind his head. Ken snarled, and flipped Tsuna over him. Tsuna managed to land on his feet, but dropped and rolled away from Ken, so that Yamamoto could attack. Ken clashed with Yamamoto again, and then sprang back angrily, pulling out the teeth and putting another end.

"Kong channel." He spat out, and he became bigger all of a sudden, fur poking out through his clothes, and roaring, beating his chest. Fangs stuck out from his mouth.

"Oh shit." Yamamoto said brightly as Ken charged them. Tsuna dove to the side, jumping against the side of the hole, and springing onto Ken. He tackled the now-large boy, wrapping his arms around his neck. Yamamoto's blade swung towards Ken, and to frighten him before jumping off, Tsuna shoved Ken's head forward, dangerously close to the blade, before throwing himself off so Yamamoto could attack. They wouldn't really kill him; Tsuna just meant to startle him. Ken yelped, and jerked back, but Yamamoto advanced and struck Ken in the side of the head with the flat of his blade. Yamamoto stepped back, and Tsuna lashed out right under Ken's raised arm, in a vulnerable spot. Ken wheeled around onto him, and Tsuna kicked him in the throat, hard, before ducking under a punch and running away so Yamamoto could leave Ken with a shallow gash across his torso.

Ken roared angrily, and tried to grab Yamamoto. But Yamamoto danced back, before lunging forward, attacking at the same time as Tsuna, who now had the gun in his hand and was pressing it against the base of Ken's skull. Ken's eyes widened when the cold metal touched his head. He froze, allowing Yamamoto to come close and press the blade by Ken's throat.

"Don't move." Yamamoto said.

"WE HAD RULES, BYON!" Ken roared. Yamamoto shrugged.

"Tsuna is too small to play fair." Tsuna waved the gun threateningly at Yamamoto, before replacing it at the base of Ken's skull.

_Don't call me small!_ Yamamoto snorted.

"Now, Ken, please remove your fangs." Glaring, Ken removed his "Kong" and put it in his pocket. As he did, Tsuna took out his phone and texted Hibari to get him there.

As the D.C. was helping to pull all three of them out of the whole, Hibari supervised. When the prisoner came up, he grabbed Ken by the front of the shirt, glaring at him. He threw the boy at Kusakabe.

"Handcuff him." Hibari ordered. Tsuna still had the gun pointed at Ken, just in case he tried something. Yamamoto had his sword sheathed on his back, but he could have it in his hand and ready in less than half a second. Kusakabe cuffed Ken's hands behind his back, before shoving him in the back of a car. Tsuna didn't even want to wonder where the DC got the car. Tsuna unloaded the gun, turned the safety on, and put it in his bag. Hibari turned to face him. "You caught him." That was Hibari's way of saying, _good job._ Tsuna nodded, and Yamamoto laughed.

"Thanks Hibari. What are you going to do with him?"

"Interrogate him." Hibari said, folding his arms and glancing back at Ken who was in the car and making faces out the back window. He looked back to the two of them. "By however means necessary." Tsuna frowned.

"Please don't hurt him too badly. He does owe Rokudo Mukuro his life, so if it's clear that he's not going to reveal a location or anything, don't hurt him." Tsuna begged. Hibari remained stoic.

"Hn." Tsuna smiled.

"Thank you Hibari-san." Tsuna bounced onto his tippy toes in order to hug Hibari.

"Stop hugging me." Hibari ordered. "Don't ever hug me again." He added coldly when Tsuna let go. Tsuna opened his mouth to say something, head tilted up, but Yamamoto took advantage of the situation and shoved Tsuna at Hibari, who ended up accidentally kissing Hibari on the cheek. Tsuna's face flamed red as he jerked away, and turned to Yamamoto, slapping him on the arm and hissing,

"Yamamoto!" Yamamoto laughed, partly because he had seen the miniscule blush that flashed onto Hibari's face.

"Herbivore…" Hibari growled, and attacked Yamamoto. After about five minutes of standing off to the side and watching Hibari beat Yamamoto into the ground, Tsuna glanced over to Ken, who was still staring out the back window, mouth open in shock. Tsuna just waved and shrugged, and went back to watching the fight. He winced every time Hibari hit Yamamoto in the head, even though he was horribly embarrassed about accidentally kissing Hibari. He knew Yamamoto deserved a little of it, but not all of it.

When Hibari and the DC had cleared out, with a very pissed Hibari, Yamamoto turned to Tsuna, who glared at him, and bopped him in the forehead. Yamamoto shrugged and yawned. "I suppose I had that all coming." Tsuna nodded, before forcing Yamamoto to bend down so he could check if he was bleeding anywhere.

"You probably have a concussion. Don't sleep or anything for a few hours." Tsuna said. There was a moment of silence, before Yamamoto started poking Tsuna and tickling him. Tsuna jumped, and tried to block the hands that kept poking him in the stomach, not sure what was going on.

"You like him, you like him, you like him." Yamamoto teased in a singsong voice.

_No I don't!_

"You kissed him!"

_You made me!_

"You hugged him!"

"I hug all my friends!" Yamamoto just kept poking Tsuna, insisting that Tsuna liked him.

"Hibari and Tsuna, sitting in a tree!" He started singing. "F-U-C-well, never mind, you're too innocent for that." Tsuna was horrified, since he could practically hear Yamamoto finishing it in his head; _K-I-N-G!_ He flushed red, turned, and sprinted down the sidewalk, embarrassed, as Yamamoto chased after him, yelling, "YOU LIKE HIM, YOU LIKE HIM!" He was _never_ going to live this down.

XXXX

Later that night, Tsuna was in his room, chatting with Bel on the computer.

_Hey. Got any info on the Estraneo in Italy?_

_ Vongola and Vindice a little suspicious about it, stealing a list of possible compiled locations from Vongola now. Rumors that Estraneo has been gathering manpower to strike back against Vongola._

_ Thanks. Did you check the stuff we got from Estraneo?_

_ Pretty gory._ Bel answered. _Now I know why Vindice tried to smoke them out. Made some interesting advancements though. Blueprints for modified Ten-Year-Bazooka. You know what that is, right?_

_ Yeah. Blueprints?_

_ Sending them over now._ They popped up on Tsuna's screen. Tsuna had a better understanding of machines than most people, but he didn't really understand most of it. He would have to get blueprints out for the Ten Year Bazooka and try to understand it.

_Think someone should get them to Verde? He could build it._

_ Would be a great barter chip. You going to use it?_

_ Think so. Have a few questions only he could answer._

_ Found a bit of info on some genes Estraneo isolated. Might use that as a barter chip. _

Suddenly, Tsuna's phone rang. It was Yamamoto. Curious, since he usually didn't get calls, just texts, he picked up, placing it between his shoulder and ear as he typed,

_One second._

_"Tsuna? You there?"_

"Yeah." Tsuna answered. Yamamoto sounded strange. "Are you okay?" He wondered, his brow furrowing in concern. There was a loud crash in the background, and Yamamoto was panting. Tsuna's eyes widened. "Yamamoto?"

_"Rokudo…I think…he might be here. He attacked me…I can't really see, lots of explosions…trying to hold him back but I'm going to need some help….he's strong, Tsuna…."_ Another crash, the sound of metal clashing and a bang. Yamamoto groaned. Tsuna was on his feet right now. He closed his laptop.

"Yamamoto? Where are you?"

_"One second….he's right behind me…." _Another crash. Loud, some shouts and the sound of things breaking before silence.

"Yamamoto?!" Tsuna cried out, worried. No answer."TAKESHI?!"

XXXX

Tsuna ended up having to trace the call to find Yamamoto. He had been in the middle of the street, bloody and beaten, one hand still on his Shigure Kintoki. He was unconscious by the time Tsuna got there, and Tsuna called Hibari and an ambulance.

At the hospital, Tsuna was informed that Yamamoto's condition was good; he just needed some rest and bandaging. Nothing was even broken. But that didn't stop Tsuna from worrying over Yamamoto's condition and refusing to leave for the night.

"Jyuudaime, you should leave." Tsuna had tried to explain he might not even be Decimo to his friends, but Gokudera just gave a shrug and said that Jyuudaime was Jyuudaime. Right now, Tsuna shook his head, upset.

"No."

"Jyuudaime, the idiot-pervert will be fine. Nothing's going to happen to him. The DC is watching the hospital." Gokudera assured him, touching Tsuna gently on the shoulder. Tsuna shook his head again, his expression stern.

"I'm not leaving." Tsuna sat down in the chair against the wall stubbornly. It was the only chair in the room.

"Are you sure you want to stay here all night?" Tsuna nodded. Gokudera sighed, and gave a small smile to his friend. "Then I will too." Tsuna's eyes widened.

_You don't have to, Gokudera-kun-,_

"I really do." Gokudera responded. Tsuna smiled up at him, and he got out of the chair to offer it to Gokudera. Thinking, Gokudera took the seat, but before Tsuna could sit down, he pulled the smaller boy into his lap. At Tsuna's surprise, he explained, "We're going to be here all night, and if we keep switching off with the chair, no one is going to get any sleep." Tsuna blinked at Gokudera before nodding.

"Thanks for doing this, Gokudera-kun." He said in a soft voice. He glanced over at the sleeping Yamamoto, face contorted with worry. Gokudera hugged his friend tightly. He could tell that Tsuna needed it; you could practically see the stress circulating through Tsuna. Tsuna relaxed against him, and laid his head on Gokudera's shoulder.

"We'll catch Rokudo." Gokudera assured the smaller boy. Tsuna sighed.

_I just want this Rokudo thing to end. I want to be able to live without constantly worrying when each of us is going to get attacked._ That thought jolted Gokudera a little, bit he decided not to say anything about it. Tsuna was next. They knew that. He would ask the sword freak when he woke up, he decided. Because they weren't going to let Tsuna be rendered as helpless as they were.

XXXX

Yamamoto woke up in a day; sore, but generally okay. Tsuna had immediately woken up when Yamamoto did and fussed over him like a mother hen, with Gokudera hovering in the background, fretting over what Yamamoto's condition was going to do to his poor Jyuudaime's health. Tsuna wasn't really sure how Yamamoto's condition could affect his own health, but Gokudera maintained that "the stress is damaging to Jyuudaime". Of course, the ending of this was Gokudera and Yamamoto arguing, one-sided, as usual, with Tsuna just sitting in a chair, eyes shut tight, blocking it out when Gokudera broke out the dynamite. He gave them a few minutes, before he gathered his courage, tapped Gokudera on the shoulder, kindly asking him to please stop. Gokudera responded like an enthusiastic puppy, and Tsuna took a seat on the edge of Yamamoto's bed, making sure his recently injured friend was okay.

Later on, when Gokudera left to get them some snacks from a vending machine in the lobby, Hibari came in. Tsuna's eyes widened when he saw the prefect; Hibari had a bandage across his cheek, and Tsuna could swear he saw some underneath Hibari's clothes in some places. It was messily wrapped, and he was still smeared with some blood and dirt.

"The herbivore escaped." Hibari informed them darkly, his aura menacing. "The herbivore that attacked him," Hibari gestured at Yamamoto. "Came back for his comrade. I was not able to get close enough before the explosion." Both Tsuna and Yamamoto's eyes widened. Yamamoto let out a low whistle.

"Jeez, Hibari. Have you gotten your wounds looked at?"

"It is not necessary." Hibari stated apathetically. Tsuna shook his head and touched Hibari's shoulder. Hibari brushed him off, eyes cold. "I must return to tracking the herbivore." But Tsuna knew Rokudo was an illusionist. Hibari would not be able to track him, not now, at least. They hadn't set up the right precautions for Ken's imprisonment. Personally, Tsuna had not expected Rokudo to come after his subordinate and break him out, or attack Yamamoto. Rokudo was the kind of person who acted like that was beneath him. But something about Ken being captured had inspired Rokudo to come get him himself, which meant he didn't trust anyone else to do the job.

If there had been an explosion, Hibari must be injured. Not badly; Tsuna's Hyper Intuition confirmed that for him. But he should at least have them looked at. Especially since they were at a hospital and it would be so easy to have it treated.

Tsuna grabbed Hibari's arm again, a little more stern than before. He looked straight into Hibari's grey eyes and said in a soft tone,

"You didn't fail; no one expected Rokudo to come after Ken and he is long gone by now. No matter what you do, you can't track him right now. Hunting him down uselessly is only going to tire you out. Please. He'll come to us first." Tsuna said the last part a little brokenly, but they all knew it was true. Yamamoto had beaten Ken, and surely Ken was stronger than Chikusa, the one that Gokudera had faced. And Tsuna was above Yamamoto in rankings. If Yamamoto was considered strong enough to take out Ken and get Rokudo involved personally, then there was no way that there wasn't going to be some huge assault on Tsuna. Rokudo was coming. They just had to wait. Hibari blinked at Tsuna.

"Hn." He took a seat in the chair, arms crossed, and watching the room darkly. Tsuna flicked his eyes to Hibari.

"Do you mind a nurse treating your wounds?"

"Hn." Tsuna reached over and pressed the nurse call button on Yamamoto's bed, before turning back to Yamamoto, who snorted.

"You're like a mother hen."

_What?_ Yamamoto shook his head, laughing, before he pulled Tsuna into a hug. Tsuna gave him a wary look.

"How do you feel?" He asked quietly.

"Tuna, you've asked me that, like, a million times." Tsuna gave him a pouty, almost teary, big-eyed look, and Yamamoto broke down. "I'm good Tsuna, I swear, don't give me that sad look it makes me want to cuddle you." Tsuna blinked, and Yamamoto squealed, before hugging Tsuna tight. Tsuna squirmed a little, but Yamamoto added, "Tsuna, I'm fine, and it's not your fault I'm hurt."

"Yes it is." Tsuna mumbled.

"No it isn't. Number one; I would have been on the best figher list even if I wasn't your friend and you know that, damn it. Regardless of mafia, I would have been attacked. Number two; no one expected Rokudo, like you told Hibari, so don't dump all the blame on yourself. Number three; you had no way of knowing I was being attacked and when I called you, I was already injured and there was no way you could get there fast enough." Yamamoto ran off the list, holding his best friend at arm's length and giving him a serious look. "None of this was your fault so you need to stop right now." Tsuna nodded numbly, and Yamamoto glanced to the skylark. "Hibari, it isn't Tsuna's fault, right?"

"No."

"See?"

_That apathetic "no" didn't really inspire confidence…._ At that moment, the nurse poked her head in, asking,

"Is everything okay in here?" Tsuna turned to talk to her, but the moment he faced her, he clammed up, his throat closing. He still wasn't good at talking to people he didn't know, even though she had a soft, sort of gentle presence. Yamamoto noticed, and jumped in.

"Hibari here came in injured and was too stubborn to get his injuries treated. You don't mind seeing to him, right?" She shook her head, and smiled at Hibari.

"Not at all. Do you want to come with me, or do you want me to treat you right here? I could do more extensive treatment if you came with me, but I can clean you up and bandage you properly here."

"Hn."

"That means right here." Yamamoto translated. The nurse nodded, smiling, and took a kit out of a cabinet. While she was treating him, Gokudera came in. He only threw the violent prefect a single glance before walking over to Yamamoto and Tsuna, snacks in hand. He threw a package of fruit snacks at Yamamoto's face, and presented a package to Tsuna with shining eyes.

"Here, Jyuudaime!" He said cheerfully. Tsuna took them quietly, smiling, with a soft, whispered,

"Arigato." Tsuna could practically see Gokudera morphing into a puppy with joy.

"So, any news on that bastard Rokudo?" Gokudera asked, jerking his head at Hibari. He assumed Hibari was here for that reason. Hibari's head snapped up and he glared at Gokudera from his seat.

"Quiet, herbivore."

"Touchy subject, bastard?" Gokudera snarled back. Gokudera had never warmed up to Hibari particularly well, since he discovered that Hibari aided Tsuna in all dangerous schemes and had walked into a very violent training session. Though, Tsuna and Hibari hadn't been having many training sessions recently. They were a little preoccupied.

"Herbivore…" Hibari growled, starting to get out of his seat, despite the nurse tending to his wounds. Tsuna touched Gokudera's arm, eyes wide, and shaking his head. He shot a pleading look to Hibari, who simply "hned" and looked away. Gokudera looked down at his Jyuudaime.

"Tsuna-kun?" A surprised voice came from the doorway, and Tsuna turned his head to see his red-headed, constantly bandaged friend, Enma. Tsuna's eyes lit up.

_Enma-kun!_

"What are you doing here?" Enma stepped into the rom, looking around curiously. His eyes widened in fear when he saw Hibari, and Tsuna saw him tremble a little. Hibari glared at him.

"Who is this red-headed herbivore?" Hibari demanded, eyes narrowing. Tsuna shot to his feet, and shook his head at Hibari. He looked over at Enma, wishing he could say something, but he really was not comfortable with speaking right then.

"Tsuna wants to say that Hibari's not gonna beat you down." Yamamoto translated. Enma jumped a little, and Yamamoto smiled. "Hi, I'm Yamamoto Takeshi. I'm Tsuna's best friend. Nice to meet you. And your name is?" Yamamoto said loosely, bright and happy-go-lucky as usual. Enma seemed to sigh with relief, at least until Hibari growled darkly, irritated at Yamamoto's happy-go-lucky attitude. Yamamoto shot Hibari a disapproving look. Enma took a step forward, twisting his hands nervously.

"I-I'm Kozato E-enma." He said shyly. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Che." Gokudera remarked, until Tsuna looked at him. Gokudera scowled. "Gokudera Hayato." He stuck out his hand reluctantly, which Enma shook hesitantly. Gokudera gestured at Hibari. "And that bastard over there is Hibari."

"Herbivore." Hibari acknowledge darkly.

"So, you're a friend of Tsuna's?" Yamamoto asked, trying to make the atmosphere less menacing. Enma nodded, and so did Tsuna, who went over to stand next to his friend, hoping to help Enma adjust to everyone a little bit better. "Well, he's talked about you and Shouichi a bit. Well, _when_, he talks." Yamamoto teased Tsuna, who pouted at him.

_I talk enough!_

"Sure you do."

"IDIOT-PERVERT! YOU'RE MAKING JYUUDAIME UNCOMFORTABLE!"Gokudera snapped. Tsuna sighed. It had been too long since the last one-sided argument. It had really just become a matter of waiting. Enma looked a little freaked out.

"Ma, ma, Gokudera. I'm sure Tsuna can handle it."

"I'll bite you to death for crowding, herbivores." The nurse had left by now, frightened away by the menacing aura around Hibari, who was on his feet, tonfas in hand.

"LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE NOW!" Gokudera roared.

"Be quiet, herbivore."

"MAKE ME!" That was a really bad thing to say, as Hibari attacked Gokudera in a flurry, and Gokudera threw himself into the fight with a disturbing enthusiasm, shouting something about holding up Jyuudaime's honor.

"Come on guys! You're scaring Enma!" Yamamoto called to the two cheerfully. Sure enough, Enma had clamped on to Tsuna's arm, terrified of what was going on.

"THIS IS FOR JYUUDAIME'S HONOR!"

"I will bite you to death."

"Well, I guess you two are having fun! Carry on." Tsuna abruptly turned around, faced the wall, and banged his head against it repeatedly, thinking, _Yamamoto. They. Are. Not. Having. Fun. Please. Don't. Tell. Them. To. Carry. On. Because. You. Know. They. Will._ He banged his head against the wall at every period. Enma touched Tsuna's shoulder gently.

"Are you okay, Tsuna-kun?"

"Tuna-chan! Don't do that! You're going to hurt yourself."

_That. Is. The. Point._ _Please. Stop. Scaring. My. Normal. Friend. Why. Me._

"Tsuna-kun?" Tsuna turned around, rubbing his forehead, and sighing.

_I'm very sorry about this, Enma-kun._ Enma may not have fully understood him, as he was learned in the art of Tsuna-speak, but he could recognize the sorrowful look in Tsuna's eyes.

"It's okay Tsuna-kun." Enma said quietly.

"Guys, maybe you should break it up. You've pushed Tsuna to his Banging-Head-Against-The-Wall mode and he hasn't gone there in a while." Yamamoto suggested to the warring parties. Gokudera immediately stopped fighting, and was promptly smacked in the head with a tonfa. Hibari glared at Gokudera one last time, glanced at Tsuna, and stalked back to his seat. Gokudera peeled himself off the ground.

"Of course we'll stop fighting for you, Jyuudaime!" Enma looked around the room, half curious, half terrified.

"Sorry for scaring you!" Yamamoto said to Enma, waving his hand. "They're always like this. You get used to it." He shrugged.

"Scary." Enma whispered. Tsuna rubbed his forehead again. "Um, it's really nice to meet you all, but I should be going-," Yamamoto spotted the look in Tsuna's eyes first, and said,

"Hey, Enma, Tsuna's wondering why you're here in the first place." Enma's eyes widened, and he looked down shamefully, before shaking his leg a little.

"Um…I fell down, and my leg really hurt…" He explained. Yamamoto nodded, and Tsuna gave Enma a concerned expression. "But yeah, I should really be going…I hope you feel better Yamamoto-kun." Enma squeaked out fearfully. He turned to Tsuna and hugged him, before leaving, or rather sprinting out of the terrifying hospital room.

They all sat in silence for a minute, no one really sure what to say, until Yamamoto said,

"Well, that went better than expected." And the room burst back out into emotion and action, in the form of one-sided arguments and way more violence than required.

XXXX

"No." Tsuna said simply.

"Yes." Yamamoto said clearly. They were all in Yamamoto's room, where Tsuna had forced Yamamoto to stay in bed. Yamamoto had quickly been released from the hospital, but Tsuna was under the impression that Yamamoto was not back at full health and wanted Yamamoto to stay in bed and not move.

Apparently, at some crazy time, Yamamoto, Hibari, and Gokudera had all agreed on a plan. And the plan was to send Tsuna to Italy with the Varia, where Tsuna could rage his heart out at the Estraneo while Yamamoto, Hibari and Gokudera set up a trap for Rokudo in Namimori. After all, Rokudo didn't have to know that Tsuna wasn't in Namimori. They would find a time that Rokudo might attack, lie about Tsuna being in a certain place, and see if Rokudo walked into their trap. Either way, Tsuna would be out of the way of danger, and even if Tsuna wasn't in Namimori and Rokudo knew it, it would break the pattern to go after Hibari.

"No." Tsuna repeated. "I'm not leaving you here."

"Tsuna, Rokudo won't come after me, Gokudera, or Hibari." Yamamoto reminded him. "And you'll be safe."

"We'll finally be forcing him to do something different." Gokudera offered to Tsuna. Tsuna looked desperately to Hibari, whose lips twitched in amusement as he said,

"It is strategic."

"But I can't leave you all here and just go off to Italy!" Tsuna objected.

"You can and you will." Yamamoto said firmly. "Tsuna, you don't even want to fight Rokudo. You just want to fight the Estraneo for what they did to Haruka and all those other children." Tsuna winced. "And Tsuna, _that's okay._ This is just a perfect way to cover all the bases. You can get training from the Varia, you can fight Estraneo, and you can help us with Rokudo at the same time, all by _not being here._"

"But-,"

"Jyuudaime, you being attacked wouldn't help either." Gokudera added. Tsuna frowned, unhappy.

"But I would be completely abandoning you!"

"You wouldn't." A complacent voice came, and they all turned to see Fon. Hibari growled, but Fon peacefully brushed him off. "Tsunayoshi-kun, I have been quite aware of your involvement with the Varia and Estraneo for some time. It is through my efforts that Reborn has not discovered this yet." Tsuna hadn't known how much Reborn did; he knew that Reborn knew that Tsuna knew about Rokudo (to some extent), but he wasn't sure if Reborn knew about the Varia and Estraneo. He didn't know how Reborn didn't know, but he had been thanking his lucky stars that he didn't confront Tsuna about it.

Tsuna blinked at Fon.

"You kept this from him-?" Fon nodded.

"I did not wish to lie to him, but he would attempt to stop you, and even Reborn must remember that no matter how much potential you have, you are not his student, you were not picked to be Vongola Decimo, and he was ordered not to hinder your movements in any way. Personally, I do not think that your involvement with the Varia is a very good idea, while I do applaud your efforts to stop the Estraneo, but I am also unable to hinder your movements and as the brother of the Vongola candidate, it is necessary for you to make your own path, for the good of all Vongola." Fon explained quietly. Yamamoto nodded.

"I think I know what you mean. You don't approve and it's dangerous, but since Tsuna isn't Vongola Decimo, he can do what he wants. And he should, because he needs to make a name for himself without the aid of Vongola." Tsuna sighed.

"But I'm not leaving."

"Unfortunately, Tsunayoshi-kun, I'm afraid that this is the best solution and a sparkling opportunity, so I must tell you that if you do not go, Reborn will be informed of your unapproved actions." Fon said, a mischevious glint in his eyes. Tsuna's mouth dropped.

_You're blackmailing me._ He realized. Fon nodded.

"I am." Yamamoto laughed out loud, and Hibari looked a little impressed. Gokudera grumbled something about this being an unsavory way to assure Jyuudaime's safety, but agreed with it. "Now, Tsunayoshi-kun, you should go pack. There is a flight leaving tomorrow at noon and we want to get you out of Namimori as soon as possible." Tsuna's mouth opened again, and shut with a click. Yamamoto started laughing even harder, while Fon simply smiled and hopped onto Tsuna's shoulder. "You should make arrangements with Chivarone-san. I will be telling Reborn that you are going to Italy to stay with him." With that, Fon bounced off cheerfully, leaving a dumbstruck Tsuna behind.

XXXX

_"I would love to have you here! Do you want to help me with the Chivarone family?" _Dino chatted cheerfully through the phone.

"Uh, actually, Dino-san-," Tsuna stuttered out. He was slowly beginning to discover that he was a little better over phones because he couldn't see the person's face.

_"Just Dino is fine!"_

"Um, Dino-kun, I have a friend in Italy that I wanted to stay with, but we're going to be doing something not strictly legal and sort of looking into Vongola, and Reborn would stop me from going if he knew, so I was wondering if you could lie for me." There was a short pause.

_"Of course, little bro! When I was your age, I did all sorts of things. Totally fine; you're growing up and you deserve some fun! Just tell me that you'll come to visit!"_

"Of course." Tsuna promised.

_"What is this illegal looking-into-Vongola thing anyways?"_

"I really shouldn't tell you, since Reborn knows how to interrogate you."

_"Yeah, it's for the best."_ Dino agreed, probably thinking of all the torture Reborn put him through. _"Well, this is still a good opportunity to get away from Rokudo Mukuro."_ Dino did know about the whole Rokudo Mukuro thing and thought that this trip was partly to keep Tsuna safe. _"When will you be here?"_

"I think late tomorrow night."

_"Call me when you get there! I have to go, little bro. I'll talk to you later!"_ Since he was finished making arrangements with Dino, Tsuna brought up his chat link with Bel.

_I'm coming to Italy tomorrow._

_Tomorrow?_ Bel almost immediately sent back.

_Yeah. Rokudo Mukuro thing here- if I don't leave, we'll be playing straight into his hands and I want to take care of the Estraneo thing there too. You did say you were going to assault it on Thursday._

_ You're really coming? _Bel wondered incredulously.

_Yeah. Is that okay?_

_ MORE THAN OKAY! You're staying with us, by the way. You don't have any choice in the matter. Think of all the havoc we could wreak! And Luss-chan misses you._ Tsuna smiled.

_Think you could pick me up from the airport?_

_ Sure. Address?_ Tsuna typed the address of the airport he was going to land in. _I won't be there until like, two in the morning though._

_ I'll be up with Luss-chan to pick you up. Just call when you get there._

_ Got it. I have to go finish packing._

_ Bye._

Tsuna closed up his laptop, and looked around his room. It was so strange to think he was actually going to Italy. He had never been outside Japan in his life, and by this time tomorrow he was going to be flying to Italy. Where his father was. Where the Varia was. Where Vongola was. Where all the mafia was. It was such a strange thought, but he smiled to himself. He could really give his father a scare, since according to Reborn, he had not informed Vongola of Tsuna's prowess and potential yet. As far as Iemitsu knew, Tsuna was still a mute, terrified teenager with absolutely no fighting skill or any potential mafia skills, that was mostly unaware of Vongola. Reborn admitted to Iemitsu, that he had explained the basics of Vongola to Tsuna, but that was pretty much it.

Apparently, Reborn didn't want to introduce Tsuna as Vongola Decimo yet, because not only was it not the time, but frightened by his initial decision, Tsuna had told Reborn that his "resolve" to become Vongola Decimo was only a last resort, if they really couldn't do anything to help Ieyoshi. Grudgingly, Reborn agreed, and said that when he sent a letter to Vongola, about how Ieyoshi did not have potential, he was told laughingly by Iemitsu that Ieyoshi was perfect for Vongola and that it was silly of Reborn to give up so soon. Iemitsu specifically wrote;

_Reborn, I know Ieyoshi. He is the best candidate for Vongola Decimo. He is strong, brave, popular, handsome, well-liked, and ready for this. I know his grades aren't the best, but he's athletic and you can always help him learn. And his attitude is because he is a teenager, of course! It's something he'll grow out of- it's just a normal response for a teen. Reborn, you of all people should know that even someone who is a little rough around the edges can be polished into something wonderful. I mean, look what you did with the Chivarone boy. It is ridiculous to give up just because he sassed you a little. He just needs a little tutoring! Ja ne!_

Tsuna had actually caught Reborn burning that letter with extreme prejudice. He had warned Lambo, I-Pin and Fuuta not to approach the baby hitman for a few hours. Unfortunately, Ieyoshi was not warned and bothered Reborn and ended up beaten and singed. Well, maybe it wasn't that unfortunate.

Tsuna sighed. He really had to pack. He couldn't postpone this, because he had to be at the airport early, so he could board the plane at noon. Thank god for the first class ticket he had received from Dino for his birthday.

"Tsuna." Tsuna looked up to see Reborn standing in the doorway. Tsuna blinked at him. "You're uncomfortable about abandoning your friends." Reborn stated. Tsuna nodded. He was.

"I don't want to leave them here."

"But they are right. This is the best option. You can always keep updated. Dino will help you stay in touch." Reborn reminded him. Tsuna sighed unhappily.

"I just feel like I'm abandoning them. No one anyone says can make me feel otherwise."

"They will be _fine._" Reborn assured him. "Now, before you go, I have been instructed to send you to Hibari for a last fight, and to give all of your family goodbye hugs, excluding Baka-Ieyoshi." Reborn turned to walk away. "You have to explain to the kids too that you're leaving. I already told Mama." He left with that, and Tsuna paled at the thought. The kids were very emotionally attached to Tsuna, and him leaving for at least a week meant that they would not take this well. Tsuna decided that he was better off fighting Hibari first.


	20. Chapter 20

Song is New Soul by Yael Naim. You guys should check out her cover of Toxic!

Enjoy!

XXXX

The plane ride was long, Tsuna was sore from his fight with Hibari, and he was also terrified by the people on the plane. He managed to occasionally force out a response to the flight attendants when they asked him about something. Thank God no one tried to talk to him. Airports and planes were hell.

When he got to the airport, Bel and Lussuria waved him over. They met halfway, where Lussuria linked his arm with Tsuna's.

"Tsuna-chan!" He squealed. "It's so good to see you!" Tsuna smiled.

"Nice to see you too, Lussuria-san."

"Just Lussuria is fine!" Lussuria exclaimed.

"Ushishishishi. Good to see you again, little fox." Tsuna blinked up at Bel, still smiling cheerfully. "Come with us. Levi is waiting in the car." Sure enough, when they led him out to a large, black Hummer (Tsuna still winced a little at the memory), upon opening the door to the backseat, Tsuna spotted an angry Varia assassin with spiky hair glaring at him. Tsuna flinched, and climbed in, mute. When Lussuria got into the front seat, he turned around to glare at Levi.

"Be nice, Levi! You're scaring Tuna-chan!" Levi growled at Lussuria.

"He insulted Xanxus-sama's pride!" Lussuria waggled a finger at Levi.

"That's no excuse to be mean!"He pulled the car out, while Bel twisted in his seat to poke fun at Levi.

"Ushishishishi…is the lapdog worried that the boss will like the little fox more?" Levi glared at Bel.

"Shut up you freak. Xanxus-sama knows that I worship the ground he walks on."

"Yeah, when it's the lapdog's head underneath his foot." Levi's eyes widened, and he lurched at Bel.

"Listen up you freak! Xanxus-sama would never do such a thing!" Lussuria continued to drive happily, like he didn't feel the tension between the grinning prince and the angry subordinate. Tsuna squeaked in and sunk down low in his sat, cramming into one corner of the Hummer. Bel hummed.

"Ushishishi, the lapdog doesn't like being one-upped."

"I'm going to kill you!"

"The Prince would like to see the lowly peasant try! The little fox would be more successful than the peasant." Levi produced a gigantic lance-like weapon from nowhere, and the car started to crackle with electricity.

"The only reason I'm here is because Xanxus-sama asked me to be-," Read: ordered and threw a bottle of liquor at his head. "-, and not to kill the brat! But I will, to protect Xanxus-sama's pride and destroy things that might cause him irritation, like you, you tiara-wearing lunatic!" Bel twitched.

"IT'S A CROWN!" A knife flew past, narrowly missing Levi's head and embedding itself in the leather seat. Tsuna squeaked again. They were driving past some greenery now, and Lussuria chipped in,

"Relax guys! We don't want to scare the recruit away!"

"_Recruit?!_" Tsuna squealed.

"RECRUIT?!" Levi roared angrily.

"HE'S A RECRUIT!" Bel shouted, grinning, happy.

"Well, of course Boss wants us to try to recruit him, but don't you worry, darling Tsuna-chan. If you really don't want to, he won't make you." Lussuria assured Tsuna.

"THIS TRASH CAN NOT BE A RECRUIT!" Levi shouted, waving his lance around. Lussuria barely managed to open up a sun roof in time so that Levi's lance wouldn't destroy the ceiling of the car.

"Now, now, Levi. Calm down."

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!"

"Ushishishi…the Prince is enjoying the show."

"SHUT UP, TRASH!" Lussuria actually seemed to be getting a little irritated with Levi.

"Maybe-?" Tsuna didn't know what he was going to suggest, but apparently it didn't matter, because Levi pointed the lance at him, shouting,

"YOU HAVE NO SAY IN THIS!" Tsuna held up his hands defensively, nodding frantically.

"The Prince thinks the lapdog is overreacting."

"SHUT UP TRASH, THERE'S NO WAY XANXUS-SAMA WOULD ALLOW THIS SO IT MUST ALL BE LIES!" Bel just laughed at levi, and it turned into a sort of one-sided argument, with Bel egging him on. After about ten minutes of this, Lussuria shouted,

"QUIET! IF YOU DON'T BOTH APOLOGIZE AT ONCE AND BE QUIET, SO HELP ME, I WILL TURN THIS CAR AROUND." The car went dead silent, and Lussuria added kindly, "How are you, Tsuna-chan?" Tsuna shot him a weak thumbs up. He had been living in fear for the past ten minutes, but the situation did remind him a bit of his friends, though these people seemed more dangerous.

"I'm sorry." Levi murmured, bright red.

"The Prince apologizes to the peasant." Bel muttered, sniffing. Tsuna sighed in relief as the car remained quiet for ten more minutes. Then the arguing started again, but not as bad as before.

Suddenly, Lussuria pulled up into what looked like a road, but Tsuna slowly realized it was a sort of driveway. The moment he pulled in, Tsuna could see through the thick trees that there was a sort of guardhouse.

"We avoided all the main roads, so you didn't get to see a lot Italy." Lussuria explained to Tsuna, as they pulled up towards the guardhouse. From what Tsuna could see, the security extended all the way around, and they all looked like huge, menacing guys. A guy came over and Lussuria rolled down the window. He said something in Italian, and Lussuria answered back in Italian. The guy stepped back and motioned for them to go through.

Once they did, they went up a large driveway, and Tsuna gasped at the mansion that came into view. It was absolutely huge, so big it practically dwarfed Nami Middle. The massive mansion was stunning. Bel twisted in his seat, grinning at Tsuna.

"So the little fox likes it." He said. Tsuna nodded, marveling at the size and grandeur. They pulled up into a small parking lot, where Lussuria parked the car, and they all climbed out. Tsuna stared at the mansion in awe, and Lussuria squealed at his cute expression, before hugging him and picking him straight up off his feet. Tsuna cried out in surprise when Lussuria placed him strategically in his arms, as if to carry Tsuna around.

"I can walk, Lussuria-kun!" Tsuna objected.

"But you're so cute!" Lussuria exclaimed. Tsuna frowned, and Lussusria put him down, and they walked into the mansion.

It was very grand, beautifull decorated from the moment you stepped in. It was also warmly lit. Tsuna looked around, captivated by the beautiful Italian style. It was almost magical to him. AS they paraded around, Tsuna realized that he didn't have his things.

"Where are my bags?" he wondered.

"The staff is seeing to that." Bel explained. Levi soon departed from the group, sulking. As they moved further into the mansion, with Bel and Lussuria explaining where everything was, Tsuna realized that he could hear shouting. As they got closer, Tsuna could hear some more defined words, before he quickly realized it was in Italian. As they approached the source of the noise, Bel started to giggle insanely.

Finally the shouting became insanely loud, and they opened the doors to see a giant room, with Xanxus in a chair. The room was a mess, as Xanxus appeared to be throwing things at Squalo, who was waving his sword and screaming,

"VOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Levi was at Xanxus's side, of course, and even Tsuna winced when Xanxus picked him up and threw him at Squalo, who dodged instead of slicing Levi to bits. Mammon, or Viper, was in the corner, counting money. Bel started laughing really hard when Levi crashed into a counter, and Tsuna jumped, covering his mouth with his hands, squeaking. The room fell silent, and everyone turned to look at him.

"Brat." Xanxus acknowledged him, switching to Japanese. Tsuna blinked back with wide eyes. "Welcome to Varia HQ. Now go find your goddamn room and stay out of my way." Xanxus snarled, before turning in his chair and chugging down half a bottle of some alcoholic beverage.

"VOIII! Brat!" Squalo acknowledged him, and waved his sword at him. "You're training for the Estraneo assault begins tomorrow!" Tsuna blinked again.

"What?"

"A few of us will be training you and explaining your role in the Estraneo assault." Lussuria explained. "We should probably get you to bed."

Tsuna's room was actually an incredibly large one, with a king sized, four poster bed. The room was elaborate and grand, with soft carpet, decorative, expensive wallpaper, mahogany furniture, a couch, a huge flatscreen, a walk-in closet, and a massive bathroom adjoining the room. The bathroom was all tile, with two sinks and a giant shower that actually had a place to sit down. There was a transparent door, but using a dial on the outside, you could make it as opaque as you want. In addition, there was a gigantic tub. Tsuna stared at his room in awe. All his bags were already set in. Tsuna could hardly believe he was going to be staying in something so incredible for an entire week.

"This is my room?" He asked, shocked.

"Ushishishishi…" Bel laughed, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Have fun, little fox." He said, before leaving. Lussuria hugged Tsuna before going to bed.

"Don't worry Tsuna-chan! I'll come by at around 7:30 in the morning to wake you up and show you where we eat!" He added, before closing the door behind him. Tsuna managed to shake off his surprise enough to get ready for bed, locking the door first, but unlocking it when he was finished and getting into bed.

XXXX

In the morning, Tsuna was woken up by Lussuria. He rolled over, and yawned, slowly opening his eyes as he looked up at the flamboyant man. Lussuria squealed when Tsuna rubbed his eyes.

"OH MY GOD!" Lussuria went to the side, fanning himself. "IT IS A CRIME TO BE AS CUTE AS YOU ARE, TSUNA-CHAN!" Tsuna slowly stumbled out of bed, dressed in sweats and an oversized t-shirt. Lussuria squealed again, and latched onto Tsuna's arm. He started pulling him down the hallway, leading him towards the room where they ate. Lussuria burst in, dragging Tsuna behind him.

Everyone was sitting at the table, with Xanxus in his big chair at one end. He looked crabby, and he was already drinking. The rest of the group looked sleepy as they ate their breakfast of eggs, bacon, and chocolate chip pancakes. Tsuna's eyes immediately locked onto the chocolate chip pancakes. Surprisingly, most of the group was in their pajamas. Well, Levi looked ready for the day, Tsuna really couldn't tell with Mammon, but Bel was in sweats and a t-shirt, as was Squalo and Lussuria. Even Xanxus looked like he just crawled out of bed. Or maybe he slept in the chair.

"Trash." Xanxus drawled. "Take a seat." Lussuria and Tsuna both took a seat, with Tsuna between Lussuria and Squalo. He felt a little awkward, so he resigned not to take very much food. After he was finished, he leaned back in his chair, fidgeting awkwardly at the total, sleepy silence at the table. Tsuna didn't like getting up early; he could do it, and he usually had to, but he never particularly liked it. But once he was up, he was up. No falling back asleep, and alert pretty quickly. Apparently, the Varia were not like that. Bel had already fallen asleep at the table three times, with Mammon waking him back up every time.

After thirty minutes of awkward silence, everyone dispersed off to take a shower, with Lussuria promising Tsuna he would come get him for training.

After Tsuna showered and got dressed, into training-friendly clothes, he opened up his laptop and his phone. He had about fifty one texts total. The first forty eight were from Yamamoto.

_Hey Tsuna. Are you in Italy yet?_

_ Tsuna._

_ Tsuuuuuuuuuuuuna._

_ Answer me Tuna, I'm bored and you're in Italy._

_ TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNAAAAAAA_

_ HELP ME TUNA I'M BORED AND I'M LOSING MY MIND_

_ DON'T YOU LOVE ME_

_ STOP IGNORING ME_

_ YOU'RE HURTING MY FEELINGS_

_ HIBARI HURTS ME PHYSICALLY AND YOU HURT ME EMOTIONALLY_

_ DON'T LEAVE ME_

_ WHY AREN'T YOU CHECKING YOUR PHONE_

_ DON'T YOU LOVE YOUR PHONE_

_ DON'T YOU LOVE ANYTHING_

_ IT'S TWO IN THE MORNING HERE AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT LIFE ANYMORE_

_ I HAVEN'T SLEPT_

_ I'M BORED_

_ I WANT TO PRACTICE MY SWORD BUT MY DAD KEEPS TELLING ME TO GO BACK TO BED_

_ THESE MEDS I GOT AT THE HOSPITAL WON'T LET ME SLEEP_

_ I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING ANYMORE_

_ THE INTERNET IS SO ENTERTAINING_

_ I'M LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY AT ANGEL BEATS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME_

_ SHOULD I SLEEP TUNA_

_ I THINK I SHOULD_

_ BUT I DON'T WANT TO_

_ SLEEPING IS FOR SUCKERS_

_ MY PUNCTUATION HAS BEEN DETERIORATING ALL DAY_

_ CAN YOU TELL_

_ I THINK YOU CAN TELL_

_ I'M NOT CRAZY TUNA_

_ I'M GOING TO WATCH MORE ANIME_

_ I LOVE LIFE_

_ I'M GOING TO BAKE A CAKE_

_ SHOULD I MAKE SOME COOKIES WITH THE CAKE_

_ I'M GOING TO_

_ MAYBE I SHOULD PLAY BASEBALL_

_ WITH THE CAKE_

_ AND THE COOKIES_

_ THE COOKIES COULD BE THE BALLS_

_ AND I COULD BAKE SEVERAL CAKES FOR THE PLATES_

_ I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD USE AS A BAT THOUGH_

_ I COULD USE MY NECK_

_ MAYBE I'LL DO THAT_

_ BUT WAIT I NEED TWO PEOPLE TO PLAY_

_ I'LL ASK HIBARI_

_ I JUST TEXTED HIBARI AND HE PRETTY MUCH TOLD ME TO SCREW OFF_

_ I DON'T KNOW HOW I HAVE HIS NUMBER_

_ HELP ME_

Tsuna couldn't help it. He was laughing hysterically. Afterwards, Tsuna set his phone down for a moment, before he checked his email. He had eight emails from Yamamoto.

_WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME TUNA_

_ TUNA I'M BORED_

_ TUNA_

_ TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_

_ TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA TUNA_

_ TUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTUTU_

_ NANANANANANANANANANA_

_ HAHAHAHAHAHA_

He sweatdropped and scrolled through the rest of his emails. He had one from Shouichi and another from Enma, asking him about his trip to Italy. He quickly sent back a response about how he was staying with some extended family for a week. That he was in Italy and he hadn't seen much of it yet, but it was pretty cool.

Then, Tsuna went and checked the three texts from Gokudera.

_Have you arrived in Italy yet, Jyuudaime?_

_ If so, how do you like it?_

_ And how are the Varia treating you?_

Tsuna compared Gokudera's completely normal texts to Yamamoto's. Then he sighed at Yamamoto's not-so-slow descent into madness. Tsuna texted back to Yamamoto,

_Are you okay?_

Knowing that Yamamoto probably wouldn't see it for a while, but still wondering if his friend was okay.

When Tsuna was finally led to the training room, Squalo was the first one to approach him. The training room was underground, and massive, built to withstand anything. Squalo, who was apparently the best at strategy, explained their idea for the assault on Estraneo. Loudly, and with a lot of _VOIIIII!_s, but he got it done. When he was finished, he shouted,

"YOU GOT THAT, BRAT?" Tsuna nodded, and Squalo stepped back, satisfied. He pulled out his sword. "Now fight me."

"Squalo-chan," Lussuria started, worried, but Squalo cut him off.

"I need to assess his skill level. You okay with that, brat?" Tsuna nodded. "What weapon do you use?" Tsuna, who had his bag with him, pulled out his handgun and tossed his bag to the side. He loaded it and gave Squalo a firm look. Squalo nodded, and charged, with a shout of,

"VOIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Tsuna blocked his first blow with his gun, before ducking forward and striking Squalo in the gut with his elbow. Squalo quickly brought his sword back and attacked Tsuna, but Tsuna was fast enough to get out of the way. If there was one thing Tsuna could do, it was dodge. When the blade headed for Tsuna again, he ducked under it and moved to the other side, quickly firing on Squalo. Squalo blocked it with his sword, miraculously. This kept up for a few minutes, before Tsuna got frustrated, and he suddenly threw his gun go the side, and attacked with a new ferocity.

Hey, Tsuna was sweet, but when it came to a fight, he had a competitive side. He didn't expect to win, but he sure as hell didn't expect to be left in the dust.

Tsuna struck out with a roundhouse kick, slamming his arm against the flat of Squalo's blade. He felt his bone practically vibrate with impact, but he forced the blade down, also by jumping up and stepping on part of it, surprising Squalo. He nailed the long-haired swordsman in the face with a sharp blow, before jumping away as Squalo swung the sword with shocking speed, grinning.

"VOIIII! LET'S FINALLY GET THIS STARTED!" The blade actually nicked Tsuna in the arm, leaving a small cut. Tsuna dove back in, and Squalo went to bring the sharp blade down on Tsuna, but Tsuna struck at the base of the sword, hitting Squalo's hands, and hooking his leg around Squalo's calf. When the blade came for him, he swung out of the way, pulling Squalo's leg with him. That would have normally caused him to fall, but Squalo wasn't as good as he was for nothing, and he kept up, turning with the pull so he only stumbled a little. Tsuna dove away from the blade again, rolling on the ground and getting back up to his feet.

He attacked again, but this time, he decided to avoid the blade entirely. With a quick kick-punch combination to Squalo's chest and stomach, Tsuna was forced to dive out of the way of the sword. But as he moved, he managed to elbow Squalo in the throat. Hard. Squalo hacked for a second, forcing Tsuna away from him. Then he charged the small boy. Tsuna had to get out of the way again, and things kept up like this for a while, both of them receiving equal, small injuries and exchanging blows. After about ten minutes, Squalo stepped back and sheathed his sword.

"VOIII! THAT'S ENOUGH." Tsuna settled uneasily into a ready-to-attack position, cocking his head to the side. "I have seen your skill level." Squalo declared.

"You weren't going all out on me." Tsuna pointed out. Squalo shook his head.

"I'm not trying to kill you. I'm assessing your skill. If I went all out on you we couldn't train." Tsuna did not doubt that. He still wanted to see how well he could do if Squalo was all out on him though. Then, he realized how crazy that sounded and shook the thought off. He relaxed. "You have potential, kid."

"Have you ever heard of Dying Will flames, brat?" A menacing voice came from behind him, and Tsuna jumped, spinning around to see Xanxus in his chair in the corner, having watched the fight. Tsuna managed to nod. "Can you shoot worth shit?" He demanded. Tsuna nodded again. "How good are you with a rifle?" Tsuna brightened a little, and Xanxus waved any verbal answer away, having clearly seen it in Tsuna's response. Xanxus rose up out of his chair. "Squalo. Leave." He ordered.

"VOIIII! TRAINING IS MY THING!"

"Leave, trash." Xanxus commanded, glaring at him, and Squalo threw his sword towards the door in anger, but picked it up as he walked out. Xanxus merely gave a dark look to Lussuria, who quickly scampered off, mouthing, _Good luck_. Tsuna trembled as Xanxus approached him. "I'm going to train you, brat." He commanded.

"W-why?"

"Because everyone else sucks, that's why." Xanxus growled. "Now, listen up you little shit, I'm going to show you how you fight and I'm only going to show you once. Then I'm going to beat this damn lesson into you. You got that?" Tsuna sighed, but nodded. Well, Xanxus couldn't be any worse than Hibari, could he?

XXXX

Tsuna quickly discovered that yes, Xanxus could be. The training session with Xanxus was violent; meaning it was mostly Xanxus giving a very bad explanation of how to use his Dying Will flames, letting him have at it, and shooting at him until he was so adequate at dodging that he could dodge bullets. About halfway through, Xanxus brought Lussuria in, told them to fight while he shot at Tsuna, and Lussuria reluctantly agreed. Then, Bel came in with his knives, and then Mammon wanted to test his illusions too. It all ended up being very violent, with Tsuna running from the three of them, Bel laughing like a lunatic, Mammon sounding very scientific, and Lussuria calling,

"I'm so sorry!" After him. It wasn't successful at bringing his Dying Will flame out at all. But apparently Xanxus thought it was a legitimate training technique. And while when it came to bringing out the Dying Will flame the training was not successful, it was actually still very good training against multiple enemies. Even though Tsuna was being battered and beaten.

After about forty minutes of trying to fend off 4/6 of the Varia, Squalo burst in, with a loud,

"VOIIII! WHY DID YOU SEND ME OFF WHEN I COULD TRAIN THE KID?" He demanded. Xanxus threw a bottle at him.

"YOU'RE LATE."

"YOU TOLD ME TO LEAVE!"

"START TRAINING HIM, TRASH!" Xanxus commanded, and the attempted training session turned into a fiasco. Tsuna was forced to retrieve his gun to defend himself. The worst part of all of this was possibly Mammon's illusions. He would feel like he was running away from the Varia successfully, and then BAM he slams into a wall. He could swear he could Mammon cackling vaguely behind him whenever that happened.

It all ended when Levi came down, and tried to get involved, and then Xanxus threw Squalo at Levi and everything just sort of ended. Tsuna was relieved, but he couldn't help but wonder if Squalo was okay.

"LEAVE, TRASH." Xanxus shouted to his subordinates, clearly very irritated.

"BUT XANXUS-SAMA-," Xanxus pointed a gun at him.

"Especially you." He snarled. The Varia sprinted out of their, leaving Tsuna to face Xanxus. Suddenly, Xanxus flung a gun at Tsuna. Tsuna managed to catch it, terrified that it would hit the ground and go off. "Fire it." Xanxus ordered, pointing at a target set up haphazardly. Tsuna turned to face it, aimed the gun, cocked it, and after making sure it was loaded, fired. Nothing happened. No bullet, no nothing. Tsuna frowned, unloading the gun, reloading it, and trying it again. He tried to fire, but it just wasn't working. He turned to Xanxus questioningly. "You need to produce a small Dying Will flame to make it work. Or at least get very close to it." Xanxus explained grudgingly, and Tsuna's eyes widened as he realized the genius of Xanxus's plan.

What seemed like training gone wrong was actually a very good plan. Xanxus had tried to use more than one opponent, to drive Tsuna close to a Dying Will, hoping it would be enough for the gun to channel it. But it hadn't worked, and Xanxus pulled out another gun.

"Better think of your regrets, brat." He snarled, before shooting Tsuna in the head.

Tsuna jumped as the bullet headed for him, but as he went down, he felt a strange burning sensation.

_Oh no._

_ This is a Dying Will bullet, isn't it?_

Suddenly, against his will, his thoughts became cluttered, murky, filled with regret and a gentle sort of burning sensation in his chest. But there was one very clear one;

_I regret not being able to use my Dying Will._

Tsuna clothes disintegrated as he reanimated, like he had seen with his brother. He shot to his feet, a ridiculously angry feeling bubbling up inside him at his failure. His grip tightened around the gun, and he aimed at the target, not thinking, just charging the gun with flames. He knew from seeing his brother in Dying Will mode that most people wanted to yell about something. But it was different for Tsuna. He didn't want to talk. It wasn't like when he was practically mute before, where he couldn't talk. He just didn't want to. There was no need.

And he fired.

The explosion of Sky Flames completely obliterated the target impressively. Tsuna lowered the gun and looked at Xanxus, who was watching all of this, glaring. But there was a strange look in his eyes as he recognized the Sky flames. Finally, he said,

"You have a lot of work to do, brat." Tsuna's Dying Will dissipated, and he gasped in surprise as the feeling left him. He quickly handed the gun back to Xanxus, and glanced down at his scrawny little self. Actually, he was a little better than he had been three months ago- Hibari and Fon's training had put lean muscle on him, so he was no longer uncomfortable with his frame. His problem was the fact that the scars his brother had given him over the years were completely visible. His cheeks flamed and he gestured soundlessly towards the door.

_Uh…c-can I-um, can I go? _Xanxus rolled his eyes.

"Go on trash."

XXXX

"You tazed him." Mammon asked in a flat voice. Tsuna fidgeted uncomfortably, and glanced back at the limp body on the floor.

"I didn't mean to." He murmured. "He just attacked me and I reacted."

"But you tazed him." He nodded.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to." He said, with big eyes. Mammon snorted.

"Don't tell that to me. I wonder how the boss will feel about this." Tsuna jumped and shook his head furiously.

"Don't tell him! I don't want him to get mad! I'll fix this! I swear." Mammon snorted again as he floated away, with Tsuna protesting after him.

"You worry too much." The door slammed shut after the floating baby and Tsuna curled his fingers into his hair, sighing. He turned around to look at the limp body of Levi sprawled across the floor.

_What am I going to do?!_

XXXX

"You tazed him." Lussuria asked, sounding odd. Tsuna looked at his feet and nodded, hanging his head.

Everyone in the room burst out laughing.

XXXX

Tsuna really didn't understand why everyone had been so happy or why Xanxus had actually put his bottle down to stare at Tsuna for a second or why Squalo set his sword down for a moment to laugh. He didn't understand, at least, until Lussuria took him aside and explained to him about Levi's position as the Varia's Thunder Guardian, the irony, and how everyone hated him.

"But Levi's not that bad…." He started until Belphegor started cackling so hard he rolled off the couch and Tsuna just gave up.

"Where did you get the tazor anyways?" Lussuria asked Tsuna curiously.

"It was a birthday present." He explained. Lussuria snorted.

"One hell of a birthday present. Why did Levi attack you anyways?"

"Said he was going to train me to be worthy of being trained by Xanxus-san. I just freaked out a little." Tsuna admitted quietly. Lussuria wrapped his arm around Tsuna's shoulders and hugged him.

"God, it's so cute when you taze people." Tsuna blinked.  
XXXX

The next day, at training, Xanxus threw the gun at Tsuna immediately, giving him a bored look.

"Hit the target." He ordered. Tsuna nodded, shifting the gun in his hand, aiming. It was the same one as before- it needed Dying Will flames to use the gun. Not any specific type, but it needed them. Tsuna cocked the gun and concentrated on the cool, nostalgic feeling he received whenever he used Dying Will flames. He knew he could call on it. He had done so before.

This time, however, he had his IPod in his pocket. He held the gun with one hand, and reached down to the pocket of his jeans to touch his IPod.

_Come on. Remember._ He commanded himself. _You can do it. You've done it before._

"I'm waiting, trash." Xanxus snapped. Tsuna ignored him, and took a deep breath.

_You can do it, you can do it, you can do it._ After about two more minutes, he felt a strange warm feeling in his chest, which cooled. It didn't spread though- Tsuna stopped it before he could. Going into Hyper Dying Will mode in front of Xanxus was not safe. He quickly fired two bullets, hitting very close to the bullseye of the target. The strength of the Dying Will flames left him, and he let out a breath, letting the gun droop a little. Tsuna felt something strike the back of his head, and he jumped, spinning around to see that Xanxus had thrown a plastic bottle at him.

"Do it again. Use the flame faster, trash." Xanxus snarled at him. Tsuna obeyed and attempted again.

After succeeding rather pitifully, Xanxus threw another plastic bottle at him. Tsuna had to wonder where Xanxus was getting them. Normally, Tsuna knew Xanxus would be throwing glass bottles, but apparently Xanxus had something against throwing glass bottles at someone of his stature and switched to plastic.

"Brat." He demanded. Tsuna spun around with big eyes. "You use your resolve to light the Dying Will flame. You suck and your method sucks. Do it again." He ordered sharply, and cringing a little from the beast of a man in front of him, Tsuna nodded and turned back around.

Resolve was something Tsuna did understand, but didn't understand the feeling. He knew he had resolve. He'd confirmed his resolve to protect his friends before. But he just couldn't recall the feeling, couldn't recall it in the haze of adrenaline and decision making. It wasn't just something he could just call upon randomly.

Xanxus seemed to notice his struggle, and seemed to be in a generous enough mood. He said,

"Brat, it isn't just an emotion it's an idea. The emotion doesn't matter until you accept the idea." Tsuna almost jerked back, surprised. He hadn't really thought of it like that. Resolve just didn't seem like that sort of thing.

But if he didn't give it a try, Xanxus would probably throw him at the target.

He shifted his stance, lifted the gun, and aimed again, thinking.

_So, resolve. What is it?_ He did his best to define it to himself. _Resolve is your determination to do something. What am I determined to do? I'm determined to shoot this gun._

_ No I'm not. Not as much as I'd like to be._

_ I have resolve over little things, I think, but not enough. Not enough to make a flame out of my will._

_ What will I do no matter what? No matter what it takes, or no matter how injured I get?_

Tsuna straightened up as he realized the exact answer to those questions.

_I'll destroy Estraneo._

He fired at the target, hitting it, and then glanced at Xanxus, who looked passive and uncaring.

"Brat." He inclined his head, meaning he wanted Tsuna to do it again. Tsuna nodded and spun back around. If he reminded himself of Estraneo, the firing of the gun became simple. After he had used his Dying Will flame, stopped and let it die, and then used it again, Xanxus became satisfied with the fact that Tsuna could call on his flame by will, and said, "We're done with this now, brat. Give me back my damn gun." Timidly, Tsuna handed it back to Xanxus.

For some reason, after Tsuna gave the gun back to Xanxus, the Varia boss narrowed his eyes and examined Tsuna for a second. Nervously, Tsuna fidgeted where he was and looked at his feet.

"I suppose I can see how some brat like you has a Sky flame." Xanxus finally said.

"Uh, thanks?" Tsuna asked, confused. He wasn't quite sure what Xanxus meant and was pretty sure it was a backhanded compliment.

"Who gave you the tazor?" Xanxus demanded.

"Hibari-san did." Xanxus snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Of course that trash did. Anything else you have that could be useful?"

"A gun, a laptop, knowledge, some dynamite, a giant metal flyswatter and a panic button." Xanxus simply fired a shot at him. It wasn't actually close to Tsuna and wouldn't have hit him, but he couldn't help but jump away.

"Run a few laps, brat, until I decide what to do with you." He snarled. Tsuna didn't hesitate. At least Hibari's training had prepared him for something like this.

In the end, Xanxus pretty much abandoned Tsuna for the rest of the day and sent Squalo in for Tsuna. Squalo gave a short evaluation and brought in Lussuria to help Tsuna with the martial arts.

Lussuria was actually an incredible teacher- unlike Xanxus or Squalo or Reborn or Hibari, he didn't attack Tsuna when Tsuna didn't understand something. It was so nice to have a normal teacher for once. And Tsuna really did learn a lot about martial arts. Lussuria showed him a few holds, and insisted on practicing them on Squalo, because he "could never hurt Tuna-chan!" It was pretty funny seeing Squalo's face go red from lack of air while Lussuria cheerfully threw him around like a ragdoll. Tsuna still felt bad later for finding it funny, but it was.

"VOIIIIIIIIIIII! ENOUGH!" Squalo finally got ticked off and wrenched himself away from Lussuria. "YOU ARE DONE PUTTING ME IN CHOKE HOLDS!" Lussuria solemnly nodded.

"It's Tuna-chan's turn!" He burst out enthusiastically.

_Eh?!_ Tsuna jumped, looking frantically at Squalo and Lussuria. Squalo thrust his sword out.

"VOIII! THAT PIPSQUEAK COULDN'T PUT ME IN A HOLD IF HE TRIED!"

Turns out, that Tsuna _could_ put Squalo in a hold if he tried. Lussuria was very happy about that, though Tsuna kept his a little less vicious.

After a little bit of that, which tired Tsuna out pretty well, Squalo demanded that they work on other weapons.

"NOW, BRAT." He roared in Tsuna's face. "I KNOW YOU CAN USE GUNS AND MARTIAL ARTS AND CLEARLY TAZORS AS WELL," Lussuria giggled. "BUT TODAY YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN THE BOW AND ARROW AND A CROSSBOW. GOT IT?" Tsuna nodded weakly. As Squalo dragged out the targets and the weapons, Lussuria explained.

"You're small, Tuna-chan, so we want you to be prepared for anything. When you know about a weapon and how to use it, you also know how it can be used against you. Also, as it turns out, crossbows are excellent conductors for Dying Will flames, so you may even choose that as a weapon. We're going up against Estraneo here, and we know they use magnets, electro bombs, which disable guns, illusions, swords, Dying Will flames, and a variety of other weapons. We need you to be as prepared as possible." Lussuria finished, and smiled brightly as Tsuna before squealing. "You'll be a little ball of danger!" Squalo stomped over to Tsuna and Lussuria, tossing the bow at him. Tsuna scrambled to catch it, sweatdropping.

"VOIII! TRASH!" Squalo waved his sword. "Today I handle everything besides knives and illusions! Bel and Mammon will talk to you about those two! Now, you hold a bow like this…."

As it turns out, Tsuna was not a bad shot with the bow and arrow. It was a little too strong for him, and it tired out his arm, but he could aim and hit a target, if that's what he needed to do. Just not repeatedly or precisely. He was better with the crossbow, but that was pretty close combat anyways.

Regardless, he stumbled upstairs, exhausted. Training was hard, Squalo was loud, and Xanxus was irritable. It was still better than Reborn's methods though.

The next day, Belphegor and Mammon covered illusions and knives before Xanxus's training. Levi was back in commission, but he had been mostly locked in his room for the past day or so, hiding in shame.

Mammon didn't teach Tsuna anything about illusions, except how to try to spot them. Apparently, when it came to illusions, you had to focus on the details, not how real they were. Because, to your brain, they were real. But if you could find imperfections in the details, you might be able to convince yourself otherwise. Other than that, Mammon's lecture about illusions was basically, "Stay away from them."

Belphegor showed Tsuna how to throw a knife and hit a target. Also, how to fight with a knife in close combat, and it all seemed like very convenient training.

Xanxus's training was the really bad part.

Storming in and forcing everyone to clear out, he took a seat in the corner as usual, giving Tsuna a bored, exasperated expression that made Tsuna want to shrink down and squeak. It was scary!

Xanxus basically shot a few bullets at Tsuna and commanded,

"Produce a flame in your hand." Tsuna frowned.

"But won't that hurt me-,"

"I said, produce the flame in your hand, brat." Xanxus snarled, his expression darkening, and Tsuna jumped, nodding. Tsuna didn't like Xanxus's training methods and he didn't understand what the man was trying to accomplish. But for all of his moodiness and angsty, emotion driven attitude, Tsuna understood that Xanxus was actually a very smart, experienced man. He knew what he was doing with the training. He knew how to be a boss and he knew how to train people.

So Tsuna spent about two hours on that pain. It didn't work out so well. He had problems keeping a constant, steady flame. He had the resolve to use the Dying Will flames, he just couldn't hold it. The flame kept flashing on his hand, firing up. But then he'd yelp in surprise, he'd feel the heat on his hand, and the flame would flicker and die. By the end of the session, he could hold the flame for a little under five minutes and his hand ached. The flame never actually burned his hand, but it just hurt and he didn't really understand why.

Well, given what he knew about Dying Will mode and Hyper Dying Will mode, it made a little bit of sense. So Dying Will mode was the process of removing external limiters to produce the Dying Will flame. Hyper Dying Will mdoe was the process of removing both external and internal limiters to produce the Dying Will flame. But Tsuna wasn't going into either mode. He was literally forcing the flame through the limiters without removing them.

After those two hours, Xanxus threw a plastic bottle at him and sent him away. Tsuna gladly left.

XXXX

"Tsuna-chan!" Came the call through the door. Tsuna blinked the sleep away from his eyes, climbing out of the four poster bed. As soon as he got back from training, he took a shower and then took a nap. He was sore and tired. Lussuria knocked again, and Tsuna stumbled across the carpet, barefoot, to the door. He opened it, to see Lussuria excitedly waving his feather boa around. Lussuria squealed. "Oh you're adorable! I hope I didn't interrupt your nap!" Tsuna shook his head. He had actually just woken up about ten to fifteen minutes ago. He just didn't get out of bed because he was half asleep.

"What is it?" Tsuna asked sleepily.

"We're going to watch a movie!" Lussuria exclaimed. "We're going to have popcorn and candy and it's fun! Come on!" Tsuna wasn't sure what he would have said on a normal occasion, but Lussuria looked to excited for Tsuna to turn him down.

"Okay." He yawned. "Just let me grab a blanket. I'm cold." He shuffled over to the bed, pulled a blanket off of it, wrapped it around his shoulders and shuffled back to the door. Lussuria let out an ecstatic shriek, hugged Tsuna so hard he lifted him off the ground, and grabbed his hand to drag him off down the hall.

The movie room was a giant room with a massive leather couch and a huge flatscreen. The carpet looked nice and soft. Bel was on the ground, but propped up on his elbows as he put the DVD into the player. He seemed to have been building a sort of pillow fort to stay in, so clearly he had already made his place on the ground. Squalo was on the couch and Mammon was in a chair. The couch was really big enough for all of the Varia to sit in, but Tsuna pulled a few pillows from an empty chair and took a seat on the ground by Bel. Lussuria plopped down on the opposite end of the couch.

When Tsuna sat down, Bel snickered at him.

"Ushishishi….the little fox is tired, is he?" Tsuna wrapped the blanket around himself tighter, rearranging the pillows and yawning. He nodded, and Bel reached for Tsuna's head, ruffling Tsuna's bedhead hair. Which, to be quite honest, was not that different from his regular hair. Bel grinned.

"Does his training get better?" Tsuna asked, yawning again.

"It gets worse." Bel said with a shark smile. Tsuna just let his head fall against the pillow.

_I just give up._

"Ushishishishi…."

"VOIIIIIIIIIIII! CAN YOU JUST START THE MOVIE ALREADY!"

"Is it a romantic comedy?!" Lussuria wanted to know. "I do love those movies!" He gushed. Squalo threw a pillow at Lussuria's head.

"VOII! THAT IS DISGUSTING! I WANT BLOOD AND GUTS, NOT CHICK FLICKS!"

"You're all idiots and I'm not paid enough to be here." Mammon said loftily. "Obviously we should be watching a witty, intelligent movie."

"NOBODY ASKED YOUR OPINION!" Squalo exclaimed.

"Ushishishishi….the Prince and the peasants are watching Zombie Ninja." Squalo glared at Bel.

"What the hell kind of a movie is that?!" Bel shrugged.

"The Prince decides."

"We can't watch that! It could scar Tuna-chan emotionally!" Lussuria protested. "That is a very gory and badly produced movie." Tsuna sighed at the pillow.

_There is nothing that could emotionally scar me anymore. Absolutely nothing._

"The Prince says we will watch Zombie Ninjas."

"I vote no." Mammon put in. Bel crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at Mammon, who shrugged. "We could put it to a vote. Who votes not to watch Zombie Ninja?"

In the end it didn't really matter what anyone thought anyways, because when they tried to vote against him, Bel almost put a knife in Squalo. After much fighting, with Tsuna just lying on the ground with his face buried in the pillow as Squalo threw furniture at Bel, they finally broke it up and started the movie out of sheer exasperation.

Zombie Ninja, as predicted, was gory and badly produced. After they were finished, no one wanted to go to bed yet because they were all basically on a sugar high. So Bel decided that they should play Spin the Bottle with one of the empty soda bottles. Tsuna immediately turned bright red.

"No!" He exclaimed. "That's not…" He fidgeted and looked down. He couldn't imagine playing _that _game! "We shouldn't…."

"Ushishishi….is the little fox embarrassed?" Tsuna turned a deeper red and shook his head, covering his face with his hands.

"I just don't think…" Tsuna gave up and pulled a pillow up to his face. How was he supposed to mention the face that he had never kissed anyone before? The most kissing he had ever done was a kiss on the cheek and that was to Hibari and totally on accident….

"Tsuna-chan! You don't have to play!" Lussuria exclaimed. "You can just sit over here by me and watch the game!" Bel whined.

"But the whole reason the Prince wanted to play the game was to tease the little fox!"

_You're an asshole, Bel._

"VOIIIII! HE'S UNDERAGE! WE'D BE CHILD MOLESTERS!" Lussuria gasped and stared pointedly at Bel.

"And we really don't want that on our records!" Bel laughed and leaned back, crossing his arms and shrugging.

"The Prince thinks your reactions are funny." After that, Squalo swung a sword at Bel and any suggestion of Spin the Bottle was abruptly put to rest.

When Tsuna got back to his room, he sent a few texts and emails to his friends, before heading to bed.

XXXX

"We're invading the Estraneo facility from all directions!" Squalo yelled at the group. They were all in some sort of Varia planning room. Apparently, they were invading the Estraneo facility in three days, whether Tsuna was ready or not, and Squalo wanted to go over the plan to see if they had to make any adjustments. "the Boss and Levi will come in the front first, to distract them. Lussuria and I will come in the back. This facility isn't underground, so Bel and the brat will come in from the roof. There is an old, uninhabited building up for rent next to it, so they'll be getting onto the roof from that building. Mammon will be accompanying them, to hide them with illusions. After the boss, Levi, Lussuria, and I get in, our task is to kill or capture as many scientists as possible. Bel's task is to get to the computers for evidence and any information we can collect. As soon as Bel gets near the computers, Lussuria's job is to protect the computers and Bel while he gets the information."

"The Estraneo don't know we have the brat with us, so Mammon will keep him hidden, and they will find the prisoners and experiments. We'll all be on com, so when we have the place, we'll all know. Vongola and CEDEF forces will be called in, where they will handle the prisoners and experiments, along with the Vindice. Got it?" At the mention of CEDEF and Vongola, Tsuna stiffened a little. In a soft voice he asked,

"Can I not be mentioned? I don't want to be any more involved with Vongola." Squalo nodded and waved his sword back to the board.

"Yeah, whatever brat, you won't be mentioned. Anyways…." Squalo went over a few specifics, but that was the basic plan. They were required to work out a lot of things with their assault group though. But that didn't really matter, since Bel, Mammon and Tsuna had already met up and discussed a few details.

XXXX

With two days until the assault, Tsuna was still ordered to train miserably for one more day. The day before the assault would be a rest and other preparation day. Tsuna was meeting up with Xanxus in the training room first though.

He'd practiced his flame a bit, and now he could hold it for just over six minutes at a time, but couldn't do much else with it. That was what Xanxus was covering today.

"Now, brat, I want you to concentrate on throwing the flame at a target." Xanxus ordered. "Just hit the target. When I say switch, you will focus on making your flame small or bigger and only hitting a specific part of the target, not the whole thing. Got it, brat?" He threw a plastic bottle at Tsuna, who squeaked and nodded.

It actually wasn't too hard to throw a fireball. You just had to focus on releasing the flame. The real problem was figuring out how to control it and hit where you were aiming. Also, the flame tended to flare and go all willy nilly in flight. Basically, the only way to get used to it was to practice.

As Tsuna was throwing the flame, Xanxus started talking. Which was surprising. He usually just sat there in a sullen silence while Tsuna practiced, or swore at him.

"Now, brat." Xanxus started, sounding bored, and like he didn't want to be there. It was like the man was perpetually disgusted by Tsuna. "A good assassin always observes there surroundings. This is important for the assault and every other goddamn thing you'll do, so listen closely, you little shit. Make sure you know what's going on around you. Don't let anyone sneak up on you. Pay attention to the smallest things. Little sounds, changes in light. If you think you hear something, even for a moment, don't fucking ignore it. There _is_ someone there."

It took Tsuna a moment, but he realized that Xanxus was _lecturing _him.

"Keep your team intact, even through coms if you have to. A good leader knows where each member of their team is, what's going on, and if they are injured. Because if you fuck your mission up they are the ones that have to save your ass. Understand?" Tsuna nodded, and Xanxus commanded, "Switch." Before continuing. "Always keep your enemy in your line of sight…."

Things continued like that for a while, with Xanxus continuing lecturing Tsuna in a rather vulgar way. It was strange. After Tsuna finished target practice, with decent enough aim, Xanxus made Levi bring out the dummies for Tsuna to practice burning. Apparently, they were made with the same resistance to burning and force as human flesh. Tsuna's task was to practice his flaming punches, and how to distribute the force that his flame added. Also, how to burn someone with it. Xanxus actually got out of his chair for that part of the training, most likely because he enjoyed burning dummies with his Flame of Wrath.

When Tsuna's lesson with Xanxus was just about finished, Tsuna said quietly,

"Thank you, Xanxus-san." The training today hadn't been completely physical. Xanxus was _really_ training him and Tsuna was lucky to have the guidance of an experienced man, no matter how much Xanxus swore at him, or threw plastic bottles at him.

The vicious man stared at him for a second, before saying,

"Whatever, brat." And throwing a plastic bottle at him at a high velocity. Tsuna reacted on instinct and batted it away from his head before it could strike him, his flame lighting his hand up. The plastic bottle burst into flames on contact and had turned into a pile of melty useless, burning goo before it could hit the ground. Xanxus turned around to walk away, but before he did, Tsuna could swear that he saw him grin. "You didn't do completely terrible, brat." Xanxus said, before leaving.

Tsuna smiled.

XXXX

That night, Lussuria had decided to cook. Grateful for all the training he had gotten from everyone, Tsuna sort of felt that he should at least help. It was the least he could do, after all. He had received the kind of training from them that would be beneficial for his entire life, probably. Wherever he ended up, he knew that there was no way it was going to be normal. Lussuria, of course, was thrilled to have Tsuna in the kitchen with them.

"Here honey! Can you chop these for me?" He set a giant bowl full of assorted foods by the cutting board. Tsuna smiled and nodded. He had chopped vegetables a million times before. He didn't really cook often, but he _could_ cook. Rather decently, in his opinion. And he often helped his mom out in the kitchen before Bianchi arrived. Who else was going to?

While they were working, Lussuria turned on the radio, occasionally singing along to one of the songs. Lussuria and Tsuna didn't really talk while they were working, but the atmosphere was comfortable and cheery.

Tsuna really did like staying with the Varia. Sure, Levi had been avoiding him since the tazor incident (Tsuna still felt really bad about that. He hadn't _meant_ to taze Levi. It had been an accident.), Mammon was distant, Bel was bloodthirsty, Xanxus was angry, Squalo was loud, and Lussuria was a little bit too motherly for his own good, but they really all were good people. Tsuna did miss his friends and Japan, but he liked Italy too. Of course, he didn't really have a chance to see most of it, but he was enjoying the Varia mansion, despite all the training.

While they were working, a song that Tsuna knew came onto the radio, and lost in his thoughts and working on chopping, he didn't really think before he sang along.

_ "I'm a new soul,_

_ I cam to this strange world._

_ Hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take,_

_ But since I came here,_

_ Felt the joy and the fear,_

_ Finding myself making every possible mistake."_

_ "La la la la la la…."_

_ "I'm a young soul in this very strange world,_

_ Hoping I could learn a bit bout what is true and fake._

_ But why all this hate?_

_ Trying to communicate_

_ Finding trust and love is not always easy to make."_

_ "La la la la la la…."_

"Tuna-chan?" An amazed voice said, and Tsuna's head snapped up from his work. He set the knife down and twisted his head to look at Lussuria.

_Hm?_

"You're _singing._" Tsuna blinked, and shrugged. Lussuria stared at him for a moment, before bursting into applause. "You're amazing!" Tsuna blushed.

"Thank you…" He whispered. Lussuria squealed and hugged him, careful of the knife on the counter.

XXXX

Bel, Mammon and Tsuna arrived at the facility two hours earlier than everyone else. They had Mammon cloak them, and make an illusion of a two men going inside the building next door that was for rent, as if one of them was considering renting it. They went up to the top of the building. Every floor was empty, and clearly had been so for a long time. The only things in the place where a lot of leaves and an occasional chair left behind.

They headed to the top floor, where there was a window that they could look through and see the facility if they wished. The Estraneo facility looked like a local clinic, which people should have considered weird, because it was in practically the middle of nowhere.

As they settled down, Mammon started to create an illusion of the two men leaving the building and driving away in the car, just in case Estraneo was watching.

_You guys really have everything covered._

XXXX

"My stupid brother isn't in town." Ieyoshi growled as he paced back and forth angrily in front of Rokudo. The illusionary Rokudo was sitting in a chair, grinning, and watching Ieyoshi pace, as if amused by it.

"Calm down, Ieyoshi-kun." Ieyoshi spun on him.

"How can I calm down? This screws up the entire plan!" Rokduo shrugged, and uncrossed his legs as he leaned forward.

"Not necessarily. There are ways of making him come back here."

"But what about the order-," Rokudo clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

"Ieyoshi-kun, please remember that the plan is always flexible. You just leave it to me. I will get your brother back here quickly."

"I get to kill him, right?" Ieyoshi demanded. He wasn't emotionless. Saying that he was going to kill his brother did horrify him to some extent. But family was just…people. Maybe it would be different if it was his mother, but he had never actually seen his brother as his brother. Tsuna always just felt more like someone who lived in his house and imposed on his life, without any of the marks of being part of the family. It was weird.

So maybe Ieyoshi was a little uneasy about killing someone. But he was going to be a mafioso. He was going to kill people one day anyways. And Tsuna was…just another person. If Ieyoshi didn't get rid of him, he would never reach his goal, never fulfill a dream. Never stand atop all of the terrible people in his life. He had seen a pretty bad crowd in his life, and just because he hung out with them and talked to them and acted like them didn't mean he didn't know they were terrible, disgusting people.

People assumed that because Tsuna was mute, he was the only one of the Sawada brothers that had ever been bullied. People forget that even seemingly perfect people are insecure. And those disgusting lowlifes targeted that.

He could kill someone. He knew he could do it. And his brother was just going to be that someone.

Reborn underestimated how much Ieyoshi needed this position as Vongola boss. He needed this power, he needed this control over his life. And he needed to be able to shove it in the face of his father-which he couldn't if he let things continue. Even if Tsuna didn't become Vongola boss, Ieyoshi would have been handed this position by his pathetic father and he just couldn't do that. He needed to earn it. With blood.

Being Vongola boss was a way out. A way to leave everything behind.

Ieyoshi really did not like his brother. He hated him at some points, especially because Tsuna had earned everything in life while Ieyoshi was forced to take the hand-me-downs from his father. That father that had abandoned them, lied to them, picked Tsuna over him as a child, had in fact picked Tsuna over him even now. Ieyoshi had been chosen as Vongola boss _because Iemitsu didn't want to force Tsuna into it._ Tsuna had been Iemitsu's little angel.

That stupid voice of Tsuna's? Tsuna's voice was very good naturally, but Ieyoshi had witnessed how Tsuna had practiced and practiced and practiced to get good when they were younger and how proud that had made their parents. _Both_ of their parents. One of the few times Iemitsu was home, he had praised Tsuna for his voice.

That was why Ieyoshi could never let his brother be Vongola Decimo. Because Tsuna would have earned it more than him and he couldn't let that happen.

In the end, that was really why he hated his brother. Not because Dame-Tsuna was dame, weak, pathetic, inadequate. But because Tsuna wasn't dame at all and he was strong enough to earn everything in his life, everything that Ieyoshi couldn't while Tsuna was around.

He did feel a little guilty though, and that was why he was going to make Rokudo let him kill Tsuna. He felt that if anyone was going to do it, it should be him.

"Of course, of course." Rokudo said. "That's the plan, isn't it? I just need to borrow his body for a little, I release him, and then you kill him." Rokudo gave him an amused smile. "You worry too much."

"How are we going to get him back here?" Rokudo grinned.

"The skylark."

XXXX

Hibari frowned as his phone rang. He was rather annoyed, really. He was busy with paperwork and he had no time for calls. But he reached over anyways and picked it up, checking caller ID. It didn't say the number, but he answered, just in case it was important. If it wasn't, he could always hang up.

"Hello?"

_"Hibari-san?"_ The voice sounded frightened.

"Tsunayoshi." He said, surprised. Why wasn't Tsunayoshi calling from his phone? And why did he sound frightened? "What's wrong?"

_"Ano-,_" The voice was suddenly cut off and another one came on. _"Kufufufu, very nice to finally talk to you, Skylark-kun. I happen to have your dear friend and student, Tsunayoshi-kun right here and unless you decide to come help, I'm afraid I'm going to have to make him beg for mercy. Isn't that right, Tsunayoshi-kun?" _

_ "Ano…please. Don'-," _Tsunayoshi's voice was abruptly cut off by a scream of agony. Hibari was on his feet in a second, eyes wide. Tsunayoshi had been _captured._ As impossible as this seemed, it was true, and now…now, he didn't even know what Rokudo was going to do to him. How had Rokudo got him out of Italy? Had Tsuna ever even arrived in Italy? Had the emails and texts to Tsunayoshi's herbivore friends been faked?

_"Now, I've had him here for a couple of days now, so you can imagine that he is very weak. I'm afraid it won't take a lot to break him anymore. Would you like to come help him, kufufufu?_"

"Where is he?" Hibari growled.

_"Kokyuo Land. You'll find me very quickly I believe. Just follow the screams."_ There was another scream, and a quiet, desperate, _"Please stop."_

"Leave him alone." Hibari commanded.

_"I don't think so, kufufufu. And before you come, I have to warn you, do not inform anyone else that Tsunayoshi-kun has been kidnapped, or that you are going to Kokuyo, because then I'll have to kill Tsunayoshi-kun and I was rather hoping I could play with him for a bit longer. Understand?"_

"I'll bite you to death, herbivore." Hibari uncharacteristically wanted to scream. In rage. Tsunayoshi was _his_ student. It was Hibari's job to protect him until he could handle an opponent like this. They were supposed to be sending him somewhere safe, but instead, he was being tortured by this disgusting herbivore. And what made Hibari even angrier was that this Rokudo was smart and probably an excellent fighter. Hibari wasn't a fool. His student had become a very good fighter, even if Hibari never admitted it to him. If he had been captured so easily by Rokudo, then Rokudo was strong. Very strong.

_"I'll take that as a yes."_

"I want to hear him again, to make sure he's still alive." Hibari demanded.

_"Then here he is. Speak up, Tsunayoshi-kun. You may not get a chance to speak again for a while." _A pained, slightly teary voice came on. Not like he was crying, but more like he was trying not to before he did.

_"Ano…Hibari-san, please be careful."_ Rokudo hung up. Hibari growled as he slammed the phone onto his desk. He was going to rip that herbivore to shreds. And give his student one hell of a lesson afterwareds, for getting captured and causing problems.

He couldn't ignore the pain he felt though, listening to the smaller boy scream, and knowing that was going to continue until he got there.


	21. Chapter 21

Song is Demons by Imagine Dragons

AND OH GOD I CUT THIS ALL WRONG I CAN TELL I FEEL SO BAD

Well, that's life.

Enjoy!

XXXX

When it was finally time for the assault, Bel and Tsuna had to clip themselves onto harnesses and lower themselves down onto the rooftop. Which, was terrifying enough, without Mammon floating down after them making remarks like,

"Don't look down."

"I'd pay to get that fallen bird scraped off the ground.

"More money could buy a better rope."

Which was really driving Tsuna crazy because he was nervous enough as is. When they finally landed on the roof, Tsuna watched in fascination as Bel ripped the shingles off and carved through the roof. He gestured dramatically at the hole that led in.

"Girlish peasants first." Tsuna shot him an annoyed look before he dropped down in, with the rope slowly bringing him down. He had to kick out one of the panels of the ceiling, but then he was dropped onto the top floor, all of this still cloaked in an illusion so no one could see it. Bel quickly followed and Mammon floated down. As soon as Tsuna was on the ground though, he knew something wasn't right. When Bel was down beside him, about to unhook himself from the rope, he also froze.

"Where did the peasants go?" The room still had computers and chairs everywhere- it looked like a sleek office room, probably where they managed everything, all cubicles, but there was no one there. It was just…empty.

"Something's not right." Mammon said. They rushed downstairs, through labs and giant computers, and engineering areas, finding nothing, wherever they searched. The rest of the Varia were already inside, and apparently they had a few security guards tied up, and were questioning them, but they hadn't found anything. They'd already checked underground- there were only holding cells and more labs, which were all empty. Well, there was one lab that had a scientist bumbling around in it, but he was easily captured and tied up.

The entire facility had been evacuated.

"Where are all the peasants?" Bel demanded, peeved that he didn't have anyone to kill.

"Calm down, Bel-chan, I'm sure the nice scientist man could give us an explanation." Lussuria said, winking at the scientist. Though he seemed innocent enough, Tsuna recognized the chilling suggestion and truth to it. If there was anyone who would know anything about what the Estraneo were doing, it would be the scientist. He would be the one questioned.

"VOIIIIIIIII! THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW!" Squalo stormed in front of the mousy, timid man, glaring at him and waving his sword. "WHERE DID ALL OF YOU GO?" The man laughed, not looking as mousy as before. It was like his entire face changed at the cold sound of his voice.

"Gone. Our spy told us about the assault. Not even the Varia is exempt from our skills."

"WHO IS IT?" Squalo roared in his face. The man laughed again, and grinned.

"You'll never know."

"Where are you all now?" Mammon asked quietly. The man's face contorted with a sick smile.

"I don't have to tell you anything. But you should know that the Estraneo don't take kindly to threats. We'll burn that mansion of yours to the ground and destroy the Varia if we have to. The Vindice can't stop us again." He sounded so sure of it, so confident, and like nothing the Varia could do would break him. His smug expression was irritating Squalo and Bel, apparently, because Squalo went off at him while Bel sharpened his knives, staring at the man with a frozen expression on his face.

"-GODDAMN TRASH. AND LET ME TELL YOU ANOTHER THING-," After some time, Xanxus got irritated and threw a chair at Squalo, who spun around, yapping at his boss. Xanxus was closer now, and he tossed a keyboard at Squalo, then a mouse, then a desk, until finally, the scientist leaned forward and spat on Xanxus.

The room froze.

Xanxus slowly wiped it off his face, rubbing it on his pants, his expression unreadable. Tsuna watched in horror as he took a knife out.

"You're going to tell us what we want to know, trash." His voice was uncharacteristically and dangerously calm. Something terrible was about to happen.

"Tsuna." Lussuria said, hesitantly. "Leave the room." Tsuna bolted out of the facility, pretending he couldn't hear the screams echoing from inside.

XXXX

The Estraneo were gone for now, along with all of their experiments. They had collected everything. But the good news was that they hadn't seen the last of the Estraneo. The scientist hadn't said specifically, and no amount of torture could make him give the specifics, but the Estraneo were going to do something big and something violent. Soon. Apparently within a few days. So they'd found their opening.

The Varia were all pretty angry that the Estraneo had gotten away for now, and Xanxus personally set out on a relentless hunt throughout any Varia workers or staff to find the rat. With his methods, he found the rat in that very same day. How could he not?

Tsuna didn't know what happened to the mole and he didn't want to know. Maybe he would have protested otherwise, but he knew that the mole had been a middle-aged mafioso that had already killed tons of people that made his own choice. He had no possibility of innocence in any way at all. Justice, in the rat's case, would be death, which was delivered. And even though that probably would have been the ruling of a court anyways, Tsuna was still uncomfortable with it. And that was okay. He didn't have to be comfortable with the death of someone. But even if Xanxus hadn't killed the man, the Vindice would have, for the crimes he committed.

Every member of the Varia was in a slump for the next day. Because they had failed their mission and nobody likes to feel failure.

Xanxus was the worst; because Tsuna was sure that if he wasn't so slumpy and depressed about their failure, the rest of the team would be better. It was Xanxus's responsibility to get his team out of this. So when Xanxus went down to the training room to train alone and blow stuff up, Tsuna followed him.

Tsuna slipped into the room while Xanxus was shooting dummies angrily, and crept up to him, tapping him on the shoulder. The man swore, and spun around, ready to roar. Tsuna held his arms behind his back, looking up at Xanxus with big, bunny eyes.

"Xanxus-san." He said softly. "I need to talk to you." Xanxus blinked, and then snarled in response.

"What do you want, brat?" Tsuna wasn't good at commanding with authority, but there was a time and a place for everything. He tilted his head to the side and hoped for the best.

"Well, first of all, I'd like you to put the guns down, if you could. Because if you keep holding a weapon at me while we're talking, I will taze you." Xanxus growled at him, but holstered the guns. Tsuna dipped his head. "Thank you. Now, I'd like to remind you that you are the Varia boss and you have a responsibility to your team."

"So?"

"So-," Tsuna started, before his eyes narrowed and his entire demeanor changed, becoming serious and dark. Something fit for a boss. "Pull yourself together. You failed. Get over it. You have another shot at the Estraneo, but you have to prepare for it. If you keep wallowing in your overwhelmingly large ocean of self pity, your team will too. So grow up and take it like a man." Xanxus growled again, reaching for his gun, snarling,

"Nobody talks to me like that, trash-,"

"Your entitlement issues, your, "I'm an adopted child" crisis need to be shelved for now." Xanxus jerked back, like he had been slapped, as Tsuna continued, sharp and to the point. "Your, "I need to earn it, I can do this, I'm just as good as anyone with Vongola blood" problem needs to be ignored. You are using that to add to your failure, using that as a reason for your failure. I can see that and it is pitiful." The truth was written all over his face. It wasn't like Xanxus to wallow in pity- he just wasn't that type of person. The only explanation was that he was blaming himself with all of his issues.

"You spent ten years in the ice; it's not fair but now you need to grow up even faster to make up for lost time. You're leading this team because they trust you, because they respect you. You're the boss. Act like it." With that, Tsuna turned around and left, leaving a shocked Xanxus standing there. Then again, Tsuna really couldn't blame him. The sudden personality change and the fact that no one was supposed to know about all of that. But there weren't a lot of secrets in the secret world.

As he was about to leave, Tsuna paused, and added,

"The reason your "I'm just as good as anyone with Vongola blood" problem needs to be ignored is because that's not the problem. You're making it a problem, even if it never was a problem. The Vongola are a group of people. Their blood makes them special? That isn't true. Because there are truly pathetic people with Vongola blood." _My father._ "Being a part of Vongola doesn't mean anything. Family isn't about blood. Not having their blood shouldn't matter. So stop making it matter." And then Tsuna left.

It was something Xanxus needed to know.

XXXX

Hibari had made a mistake.

He could feel it as soon as he found the room he had been sure Tsunayoshi was in.

He didn't like making mistakes.

When he entered the room, he had seen that Tsunayoshi was on the ground, limp and bloody, and Hibari had felt a little bit sick at the gory scene. Blood was spattered on the walls, the floor, a thick coating of it covering Tsunayoshi's hair. Hibari wasn't cruel; he would never wish for his student to suffer like that.

And then Tsunayoshi disappeared, and Hibari realized in horror that it was an illusion. He had his tonfas out in a second, expecting an attack, even though none came. He whipped his head around, scanning the room.

"Kufufufu." The laugh came from behind him, and he spun around to see a figure leaning against the wall. "So Skylark-kun came." Hibari raised his tonfas, narrowing his eyes.

"It was all an illusion. Tsunayoshi is still in Italy, isn't he?" The figure dipped his head.

"I wouldn't say that. The blood is still here, isn't it?" Hibari's eyes darted to the blood on the walls and the floor. It was still there…but who did it belong to? That had only been an illusion on the floor. Hibari looked back to Rokduo, gritting his teeth.

It was hard to describe Rokudo's face, since the image seemed to keep shifting. Rokduo was using an illusion to hide it.

"What did you do with Tsunayoshi, herbivore?" Hibari barked out, and Rokudo took a few steps forward, grinning. That image was clear. "Tell me."

"Make me." Rokudo pulled out a trident, and shifted it in his hand, still grinning. Hibari charged.

Their weapons clashed, and then Hibari pulled back, before striking at Rokudo's side. Rokudo was fast enough to move his trident, and he blocked the tonfas, before whipping it around in his hand and jabbing at Hibari, who dodged and blocked a sweeping movement from the trident. He struck, moving in closet, but Rokudo shifted the trident in his hand and blocked at the last minute.

This was no time to play around. Hibari tightened his grip on his tonfas and attacked the herbivore in front of him at a speed that was close to impossible. He attacked furiously, fiercely, with every intention of harming the herbivore. No mercy.

Rokudo actually seemed surprised at the intensity Hibari attacked with, driving Rokudo back a couple steps. But then, Rokudo changed his tactic, and fought back. He didn't drive Hibari back, but he didn't lose anymore ground. He blocked and attacked.

Their fight was too fast for regular people to keep up with. One minute Hibari was pressing Rokudo hard, the next he was being forced to block. They were evenly matched, pushing back and forth without determining a winner. They landed blows and left each other with injuries, but nothing major immediately. Naturally, the nature of the injuries got worse as the fight continued, but they were equally injured.

And it was sort of pissing Hibari off.

When they sprang apart again, both panting, sweating, and bleeding. Rokudo grinned, and Hibari glared back.

"I don't believe we're getting anywhere Skylark-kun. We'll have to find another way to fight." Hibari raised his tonfas again, narrowing his eyes. He didn't care what the creepy criminal herbivore had to say. Rokudo sighed. "Really, Skylark-kun, you're very hard to deal with. Ieyoshi-kun, why don't you bring in your brother?" Hibari felt like he'd been slapped in the face.

Because he wouldn't put it past that herbivore to work with Rokudo and he didn't like that Rokudo might not be lying.

The door opened, and Ieyoshi appeared, dragging in the small, bloody form of his brother. He was pulling Tsunayoshi along, his hands hooked under Tsunayoshi's arm pits, Tsunayoshi's feet dragging on the floor. Ieyoshi threw him on the ground, and crossed his arms, glaring.

"I'm not your errand boy, you know." Ieyoshi complained. Rokudo grinned and shrugged, before suddenly attacking Hibari. The results of the fight were the same, with Hibari holding his ground against the blow. He exchanged attacks with Rokudo, his eyes continuously darting towards the form of his student. He didn't want to think about what had happened to him.

It was because Hibari was being careful that he noticed Ieyoshi taking out the gun and aiming it at his brother. Hibari reacted immediately, jerking away from the fight and rushing over to defend his unconscious student. Tsunayoshi, as his student, was his responsibility, and since Tsunayoshi could not defend himself at this time, it fell to Hibari to do so.

And as Hibari sprang over, throwing Ieyoshi to the side, Tsunayoshi's body disappeared again, and Hibari felt the dread as he spun around a second too late to fully defend against Rokudo. He blocked, sure enough, but he was forced to stumble backwards, against the wall, and the next thing he knew, he was taking a trident to the stomach.

XXXX

"Are we training or what-," Mammon started at breakfast, but was quickly silenced by a glare from Xanxus. The Varia were still sore about the humiliating situation with Estraneo. Personally, Tsuna was also pretty unsure about what they were going to do. He thought they should train and get ready, since Estraneo were clearly going to do something, but Xanxus was still moody and unprepared.

"Shut up, Mammon, you piece of shit." Xanxus hissed, and angrily munched on his bacon. He tossed the rest of the piece across the room, adding, "Too goddamn crunchy." He leaned back in his chair and sipped some whiskey even though it was nine in the morning. Tsuna was getting sick of his behavior and they had only been sitting there for eight and a half minutes.

This was _not_ the time for _whining._ And Xanxus was sure as hell whining.

"Xanxus-," Lussuria started uneasily. "We really do need to decide what to do." Xanxus glared at Lussuria.

"I don't care, so shut up, trash." Lussuria went silent in his seat, staring down at his plate. Even Bel wasn't laughing. Xanxus wasn't just normal moody or pissed. His attitude was worse than usual and Tsuna could feel it bringing down the morale of the Varia.

Levi was the one to valiantly put himself out there next, and even though Tsuna didn't really like Levi all that much, he found the effort commendable.

"Xanxus-sama," He started strongly, but then Xanxus cut him off.

"Go kill yourself, Levi." Tsuna's eyes widened and he shot up in his seat. He immediately grabbed his glass of water and threw it in Xanxus's face, soaking him in an instant. The mouths of everyone in the Varia dropped, as Tsuna walked over angrily.

Telling Levi to go kill himself just because Xanxus had an attitude problem was disgusting. Those were words that Tsuna thought should never be spoken to anyone. Ever. No matter what they said or did. It didn't matter if you thought it to yourself. _You never spoke it or wrote it or showed it to anyone because that was beyond low._

Xanxus's eyes snapped open, and a deep growl came from him.

"Brat." Tsuna wanted to flinch at the tone, and he normally would have, but _Xanxus had said that terrible thing and that was not okay._ So he stood his ground. Besides, he was kind of getting used to standing up to Xanxus. Somebody needed to. "I'm going to rip you apart for that."

"You don't say that sort of thing." Tsuna said in a quiet voice. "Ever."

"What I say to my subordinates doesn't concern you. If I want Levi to go kill himself, I will tell him to go kill himself, and if he was a loyal subordinate, he wo-," Tsuna snatched the bottle of whiskey away from Xanxus and emptied it over Xanxus's head before he could say anything else. He could practically hear the surprised gasp from the inhabitants of the room. But he didn't care. His only thought was defending Levi. He didn't like Levi, but Levi didn't deserve this sort of treatment. No one did.

Still gripping the bottle, Tsuna turned away to storm out of the room, before Xanxus hissed,

"Brat. The bottle." His voice was filled with barely contained rage. But Tsuna couldn't care less. He turned and flung the bottle at Xanxus's head, before leaving the room angrily, slamming the door. He could hear the shatter, knowing it never made contact with Xanxus's head, and then the roar of anger. Tsuna was comfortable knowing that the bottle never hit Xanxus. If he suspected at all that Xanxus would let the impact happen, he would never have thrown it. He could really hurt someone otherwise. Another door slammed, as Xanxus stormed out the other door.

Before Tsuna could go back to his room, he heard Mammon's voice from inside.

"The two of them are sort of like two sides of the same coin."

XXXX

The effects of Xanxus's rage could be heard throughout the mansion all day. Everyone was jumpy, running away and hiding from Xanxus in fear of what he might do. Though, they were lucky. The temperamental Varia boss spent most of his time in the training room, destroying things. So at least he wasn't taking his anger out on the people that didn't deserve it.

Tsuna knew that he had to go talk to Xanxus again. He was partly what set off this rage, though he had not inspired it. But he let Xanxus get most of his anger out over the course of the day, and at about five o'clock, he headed down to the training room, the room none of the Varia dared to approach.

He opened the door to see a fiery room, little flames of wrath burning all over, with dummies and targets strewn across the floor, burning or in pieces. Or burning pieces. Xanxus was breathing heavily, a gun in his hand and the other hand bursting with the Flame of Wrath.

Xanxus noticed Tsuna's entrance immediately, and Tsuna felt worse seeing the Flame of Wrath flare a little bigger. Nevertheless, Tsuna had to do something, so he stepped across the pieces and approached Xanxus cautiously.

"What are you here for, brat?" Xanxus spat out. "To throw another bottle at my head?"

_Well, now you know how it feels, I suppose._

"Xanxus-san," Tsuna started carefully. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad. I was just very angry about what you said." Tsuna looked down at his feet, feeling his cheeks flush. He wasn't very good with apologies. He wasn't apologizing for speaking up. But he knew that throwing the bottle and soaking Xanxus had been rude and probably uncalled for. There was another way to express how he felt. And now it was his fault for making Xanxus angry and in turn, making everyone too afraid to talk to their boss.

"You should be, brat." Xanxus growled. Tsuna blinked up at him hesitantly.

"But you're angry at me, not your team. They really need you right now. So, um, please talk to them?" Tsuna asked softly. He was really more begging than anything else. But it was clear how much the Varia needed Xanxus right now and Xanxus was just neglecting it. It wasn't fair to the team, who had done nothing wrong.

Xanxus glared at Tsuna, and Tsuna was afraid he wasn't going to say anything at all and just keep throwing his Flame of Wrath at the dummies. And that was worse. Not to be acknowledged at all. But to Tsuna's relief, Xanxus spoke.

"You have a lot of nerve, brat." Tsuna shrugged and looked down again. "For such a pitiful little pipsqueak, you have a lot of stupidity or bravery."

_A little bit of both._

"Anyways," Xanxus continued darkly. "I'll talk to my team. But stay out of my sight for the rest of the night, brat, or I'll burn you." Xanxus threatened. Tsuna could take that deal, and he nodded quickly.

XXXX

Later that night, after the Varia had "kissed and made up" to put it figuratively, Tsuna couldn't help but smile to himself. He was hiding around the mansion, doing his best to stay out of Xanxus's sight. Xanxus still seemed pretty mad at him, and Tsuna was a little too terrified to deal with that.

Well, a lot too terrified.

Terrified beyond belief.

But in his defense, Xanxus was scary!

After watching Xanxus get into one of his fights with Squalo where he threw stuff at his best friend's head, Tsuna smiled and slipped away. Things were back to normal. He had no doubt that the next day, things would be up and running. They would be going after Estraneo.

It was all worth it.

Mostly everyone went to bed at about nine or ten o'clock that night, knowing they would have training tomorrow. You could feel the change in the atmosphere. Pretty much all lights were out by eleven, and Tsuna was dead asleep by then.

However, silently, someone crept into the house.

The hallways were empty and the Varia were all asleep. It was the perfect opportunity, and Estraneo was taking it. A figure slipped through the mansion, searching for the right room. He had a silenced 22 in his hand and a long knife sheathed at his side. The Estraneo assassin was prepared for anything, ranging from Xanxus's grumpy wrath, to Lussuria in a nightie and bunny slippers.

He still didn't want to see that, though.

After checking a few rooms, he quietly opened the door to what he suspected was the right one. Once he saw the figure lying on the bed, he shifted the knife in his hand. He preferred to use the knife, as the Varia might still wake up at the sound of a silenced gun. They knew the sound, and the Estraneo assassin was sure of it. But he had the gun prepared just in case. He held the knife in such a way that it would be easy to slice the throat of his victim open.

He bent over the figure, lifting the knife into the air, and bringing it down.

Seconds before the knife touched his throat, Tsuna's eyes snapped open, glowing, and a Sky flame flickering to life on his forehead.

The next moment, there was a blast of flames, shots fired from a silenced gun, and a loud _bang! _

The household came to life in a matter of seconds, Xanxus slinking from his room angrily to kill whatever that sound was, Lussuria rushing out, worried, Bel yawning and blinking sleepily, Squalo waving his sword around halfheartedly, Levi looking confused, and Mammon just floating out as if he'd decided to take a stroll through a park.

However, they all moved a lot faster when they saw the flames coming from Tsuna's room.

Xanxus basically flung the door off the hinges, leading the pack, to see Tsuna on the ground, knocked unconscious, and a severely wounded assassin about to bring the knife down on the petite boy's neck. He shot the assassin many more times than necessary.

Lussuria rushed over to the fallen boy, lifting him up. It was easy to tell that Tsuna had fought back, but the assassin probably had the jump on him, and just one blow was all it took to turn the fight in his favor. Tsuna was sort of half-awake, his eyes half lidded, but not entirely lucid.

"Tsuna-chan!" Lussuria exclaimed, checking the quiet boy for injuries. He found a few scratches, a wound from where a blindly fired bullet had clipped him, but had not majorly injured him, and a small head wound from being struck with a gun, probably what had brought him down. As Lussuria searched more, he found one bullet wound, but it was a simple flesh wound, and with the help of sun flames, would heal in no time at all.

"I'm okay…" Tsuna murmured, some of his hair sticky with blood. Not a lot, but Lussuria still started to fret over him. Meanwhile, Xanxus went over and lifted up the body of the unconscious assassin. The assassin was still alive, but barely. He would probably be dead in a couple of minutes though, no matter what anyone did to try to save him.

"Estraneo sent him." Xanxus snarled, finding the Famiglia's emblem on a ring.

"VOIIIIIII! THEY DARED TO ATTACK US DIRECTLY?" Squalo exclaimed. Bel shrugged, and yawned.

"Probably not us, but the little fox. After all, the little fox basically led the first attack on Estraneo. Perhaps the peasants thought that by getting rid of him, they would be safer." Xanxus darkened.

"An attack on any one of us is an attack on all." He growled.

"But Xanxus-sama, the trash isn't part of the Vari-," Xanxus threw a lamp at Levi to silence him.

"Shut up, Levi. The brat is whatever I say he is. And Estraneo has just attacked one of us." Bel grinned and giggled.

"Does this mean what the Prince thinks it means? A mafia war? The Prince hasn't participated in one of those for _ages._" Bel sounded….very excited at the concept of another mafia war. Xanxus didn't answer, but it was basically a yes.

"VOIIII! WE ALREADY HAVE PLENTY OF REASON TO TEAR THE ESTRANEO APART!" Squalo thrust his sword in the air enthusiastically. Mammon gave him a deadpan look (well, not technically a look, since you couldn't see his eyes, but the body language was pretty obvious)

"I'm going back to bed. Tell me if the brat dies." He said, and floated away.

"Bel-chan? Can you wake up the rest of the house? I think Tsuna-chan needs medical attention." Squalo frowned.

"The brat isn't badly hurt, is he?" Lussuria shrugged.

"No, but I think he may have a bad concussion and he has a bullet wound I would like to take care of. Estraneo is known for using poison, and I just want to make sure Tsuna-chan is okay." Bel nodded and left the room to get the little hospital wing of the mansion up and running. Lussuria lifted Tsuna up, brushing Tsuna's hair back from his face. "I think he'll be fine, though." Lussuria added. Xanxus, still holding the body of the assassin in the air, paused to study Tsuna for a second.

"The brat better be." He said, before storming off to burn the body to ashes.

XXXX

The fight with Rokudo hadn't ended with Hibari getting stabbed in the stomach, of course.

Hibari was too strong to go down like that.

But it was really pissing Hibari off that he'd gotten stabbed. Of course, it was a battle. If you were a second too late in blocking, you could be terribly wounded. Or killed. He let his guard down and couldn't bring it up fast enough, and now he was learning his lesson.

He was still fighting pretty well, ignoring his pain, and only focusing on winning. That was all that mattered. If he could beat Rokudo, he could solve everything. After Rokudo, Ieyoshi would only take one hit to knock out, as would the other lackeys. Hibari could take care of them, severely injured or not.

_If_ he could beat Rokudo.

Hibari did not want to admit it, but the odds weren't solely in his favor. There was a chance he could lose and he really did not like the feeling of that.

On top of all this, he couldn't figure out if Rokudo really had Tsunayoshi here, or if it was all an illusion. On one hand, Tsunayoshi had been revealed as an illusion twice. On the other hand, the blood was still there. But actually, all of it could be an illusion. But also, making all of what Hibari saw an illusion could be to convince Hibari that Tsunayoshi wasn't there at all, even if Tsunayoshi was. It was frustrating.

Hibari supposed he could call Tsunayoshi's cell, but now was not the time for it.

XXXX

Tsuna woke up feeling like he'd just had a training session with Hibari.

Which meant sore and exhausted combined with a feeling of dread that he had to get out of bed and do it again.

On the subject of Hibari, Tsuna was actually missing the violent prefect. Naturally, Tsuna missed Nana, Bianchi, Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Shouichi, Enma, and even Reborn. But the thing about Hibari that surprised Tsuna was that he found himself continually surprised that he had become friends with Hibari. He never expected the prefect to become such a big part of his life, and now Tsuna was missing him very much. Along with everybody else, of course.

Tsuna shifted in bed and groaned at his sore body. The room he was in was comfortably lit. As far as he could tell, it was some sort of medical room, though not necessarily the hospital. Why was he here again?

Flashes of someone standing over him with a knife came back.

_Oh._

_That's why._

Tsuna yawned, and ignoring the pain in his body, he slowly sat up, propping himself up against the pillows and looking around.

"Hello?" He called quietly. As if on cue, the door went flying open and Lussuria burst in, waving his feather boa.

"Tsuna-chan!" He shrieked. Tsuna blinked.

"Were you waiting outside the door?"

"Maybe." Lussuria rushed over, to fuss over him. He fired question after question at Tsuna.

"_Are you okay?"_

"_How do you feel?"_

"_What do you remember?"_

"_Do you need anything?"_

"_Do you need water?"_

"_Are you cold?"_

"_Do you want your laptop?"_

"_What about your phone?"_

"_You don't feel dizzy?"_

"_Everything's okay?"_

"_Any pain?"_

Tsuna flushed bright red at the rapid questioning, which caused Lussuria to pause in order to squeal at his cuteness.

After some conversation, Tsuna assured Lussuria he was okay, and asked him what happened. Lussuria threw his boa over his shoulder sassily.

"Well, hun, an assassin tried to kill you in your sleep and you woke up right before he did. You burnt off half his face, but he managed to shoot you and hit you with his gun. You fought back, but there was poison on his bullets, so he overpowered you. We came in around then because your room was sort of flaming and Xanxus shot the assassin repeatedly. He is currently a pile of ash in the training room." Lussuria paused. "I think we'll send Levi to clean it up." He continued. "Anyways, we treated you. You had a mild concussion, a bullet wound- but don't worry, it's almost completely healed up already-, a few scratches here and there, and we gave you an antidote for the poison. So you should be better!" Lussuria said cheerfully. "How do you feel?"

"A little sore and tired, but good." Tsuna admitted.

"Well, I should probably go. I have training but I wanted to be close by when you woke up." Lussuria confessed. "I'll tell everyone you're awake. Do you need anything?"

"Could I have my phone and laptop?" Lussuria smiled.

"Yeah. I'll send one of the staff by with it."

After Lussuria had left and a member of the staff brought him his laptop and phone, Tsuna checked his emails and text messages. After he wasted some time like that, he felt strangely compelled to call Hibari. If not just to say hello, then to check on the situation with Rokudo. He looked at the number on his phone for a bit, before he remembered the time zones and that Hibari was probably busy at the moment. He put his phone away. If Hibari had anything to say about Rokudo, he would have called.

After an hour or so, Tsuna decided he was well enough to get up. He felt okay, and he didn't really want to stay in bed any longer than he had to. So he changed into some clothes that a member of the staff had been kind enough to bring by, and left the room, a little shaky and still tired.

He wandered towards the kitchen, figuring he could get something to eat and then go train or something. He really wasn't sure what else he would do.

After he grabbed a few snacks from the kitchen, he went to the living room, where he was surprised to find Xanxus, drinking. Then again, he shouldn't have been so surprised. Xanxus's only purpose for training was probably to train Tsuna. If Tsuna was unable to train, he couldn't imagine Xanxus being too motivated. Still, Tsuna did not expect to run into the Varia boss.

"Brat." Xanxus immediately acknowledged Tsuna.

"Um, good morning?" Tsuna squeaked out tentatively. They sort of had a stare off for a bit, before Xanxus said,

"Well? Are you going to sit or not?" Tsuna quickly took a seat on the couch, trying not to meet Xanxus's eyes. They sat in silence for a bit, until Xanxus spoke. "You okay, brat?" Tsuna quickly nodded.

"Wouldn't be the first time someone's tried to kill me." He said quietly, without really thinking about it. Xanxus gave him a half amused look, as if to say, _You want to talk about people trying to kill you, brat? I'm in the mafia. Take a wild guess of who's tried to kill me._

"Oh really? Like who?" Tsuna paused to think. He couldn't say Reborn. But he did have a few answers.

"Well, I suppose I just get in the way a lot, but namely, you," Xanxus snorted. "-and your team, Estraneo, an unknown mafia family, Poison Scorpion Bianchi-that was actually just a mix up though-and my brother. Other than that, it's not so much people trying to kill me, rather just hurt me-,"

"**What.**" Tsuna jumped at the tone, blinking innocently at Xanxus, who looked shocked and infuriated. "**Did you say your brother?**" Timidly, Tsuna nodded. Tsuna did just sort of figure that Xanxus would understand family members trying to kill each other, since it was mafia. But apparently, Vongola had standards. "**Your brother tried to kill you?**" Xanxus hissed, and Tsuna shrugged, looking off to the side.

"A couple of times." He admitted quietly.

"Why?" Xanxus demanded. Tsuna shrugged again.

"He hates me. It kind of happened because he sorta has abandonment issues. It's not his fault." Tsuna immediately defended though, seeing the look in Xanxus's eyes. "Our dad basically left us and our mom never stopped him. He never learned any better." Xanxus narrowed his eyes.

"That's not an excuse to try to kill your flesh and blood." Xanxus, Tsuna realized, had never even stooped that low himself. Nono wasn't Xanxus's real father. "How old is he?"

"We're twins."

"Then he's damn old enough to know better." Xanxus growled, and took a sip from his bottle. "That's just pathetic. What happened to him?"

"What do you mean?" Tsuna asked, puzzled. Xanxus gestured with the bottle.

"Did he get thrown in jail or what? What did your mom say?"

"Uh, nothing happened to him. I didn't tell her." Xanxus crushed the bottle in his hand, making Tsuna jump. Clearly, even though immoral, Xanxus could be righteous.

"_You didn't tell her?_" Tsuna gulped and shook his head.

"She would have been really upset, and I can take care of myself, and he's too scared of Hibari to do anything anymore so it's all okay-,"

"**Nothing** makes that okay." Xanxus snarled. "That's not even okay in mafia."

"But-,"

"**Shut up.**" Tsuna went silent, eyes wide, looking down at his feet. Xanxus angrily stood up and stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

XXXX

Hibari lost.

He knew he might lose, but he had no way of predicting how it happened. One moment he was fighting Rokudo and doing his best to ignore illusions, and the next, there was a yoyo ripping into his already injured stomach. Rokudo had employed the help of his lackeys to win. Hibari still wouldn't go down, not even when Ken was practically climbing onto his back and ripping through his flesh. He broke out the maces that came out of the end of his tonfas and fought just the same, defending himself from Rokudo and attacking Ken at the same time. He defended himself as long as he could. He refused to go down like that.

But eventually, Rokudo employed another power on him. Rokudo's red eye burst into misty-looking flames, similar to Tsunayoshi's flame, but a different color and texture. The heterochromatic boy babbled something about a path of demons, but Hibari wasn't listening. All he was focusing on was the fact that Rokudo had gotten faster, much stronger, and that the chances of Hibari winning this fight were dwindling. Even if he beat Rokudo, it was looking like he wouldn't be able to last against the rest of the gang, if they teamed up against him. He was too broken.

And if Rokudo's flames were anything like Tsunayoshi's, Hibari knew he didn't stand a chance of winning at all.

But that didn't mean he was going to give up.

That just meant when he finally fell, it was with pride that he had fought as long and hard as he did, even if at the same time, his pride was wounded by his loss. As his head hit the ground, his vision going blurry, he thought of Tsunayoshi, and hoped that this had all been a trick and he wasn't leaving him to die.

XXXX

"Hibari's missing." Yamamoto muttered, pacing the prefect's office. Kusakabe had worriedly informed them that he couldn't find Hibari anywhere, had not seen him in a very long time, and that he wasn't answering any calls or text messages. Given the situation with Rokudo, it was a valid reason to be concerned of Hibari's whereabouts.

Because of that, Gokudera and Yamamoto joined the search and were freaked out as they could not find or contact Hibari. They had even convinced Ryohei to look for Hibari, and Ryohei had been unable to find him either. And Ryohei could search the whole town in a matter of minutes.

"What do we do?" Yamamoto asked no one in particular. He couldn't imagine what had happened to Hibari. Maybe he'd been kidnapped? But honestly, that was something he had trouble seeing. Maybe Hibari had found Rokudo and tried to fight him on his own. That sounded more like Hibari.

"We tell Jyuudaime." Gokudera answered after a moment of thought. "He'll know what to do."

"But even if we do contact Tsuna, it'll be a while before he gets here." Yamamoto pointed out. Kusakabe joined in.

"Perhaps you could call Sawada-kun. Meanwhile, we could gather a lot of the DC, and maybe Sasagawa-kun and all of us could try to find Rokudo. If we found him, we could fight him. I do believe we would have the manpower, especially with you, Gokudera-kun, and Sasagawa-kun being such heavy hitters." Kusakabe offered. But Yamamoto wasn't listening. He couldn't help but notice what was on Hibari's desk. He walked over and picked it up, checking to see if it was on silent. True to Yamamoto's prediction, it was. The black-haired teenager turned to face the group solemnly.

"It's Hibari's phone. He left it here." That just about confirmed it for Yamamoto that he was off fighting Rokudo by himself somewhere, and leaving behind his methods of communication because he was convinced he could do it. Kusakabe sat down on the couch, looking pale.

But Yamamoto knew there had to be more than just finding the phone. He tried to focus on what Tsuna would do, and then it hit him. He opened up the Recent Calls section and checked the last number to have called before them and Kusakabe.

"Kusakabe, do you know this number?" Yamamoto asked, showing the phone to Kusakabe, who blinked, hard, and shook his head.

"No." Gokudera shot up from his seat, realizing the same thing Yamamoto had. After all, how would Hibari have found Rokudo without Rokudo reaching out to him first?

"We have to get the Shouichi kid." Gokudera said immediately, and Yamamoto nodded. They sprinted off to find Irie Shouichi, with Kusakabe running after them.

XXXX

Xanxus heard a voice.

A singing voice, in fact, and he had to admit, it was actually pretty good.

At first, he was a little confused. To his knowledge, no one in his mansion sang at all. Well, Bel sang in the shower but he was tone-deaf and loved it. So Xanxus knew that it couldn't be one of his people. Right?

More curious than he would like to admit, he followed the voice to one end of the mansion, by the brat's room. The door was open, and Xanxus peered in. He scowled. The brat wasn't there. And neither was anyone else. But the voice was definitely coming from here. He stepped in silently, searching around the room. He followed the voice to the window, where it got stronger. Xanxus paused, as he realized that the voice was coming from the roof. Well, not exactly the roof, but a lower roof, a sort of outcropping above this room.

"_When the days are cold,_

_And the cards all fold,_

_And the saints we see_

_Are all made of gold."_

"_When your dreams all fail_

_And the ones we hail_

_Are the worst of all_

_And the blood's run stale."_

"_I want to hide the truth,_

_I want to shelter you,_

_But with the beast inside,_

_There's nowhere we can hide."_

"_No matter what we breed,_

_We still are made of greed._

_This is my kingdom come,_

_This is my kingdom come."_

"_When you feel my heat,_

_Look into my eyes._

_It's where my demons hide,_

_It's where my demons hide._

_Don't get too close,_

_It's dark inside,_

_It's where my demons hide, _

_It's where my demons hide."_

"_When the curtain's call_

_Is the last of all_

_When the lights fade out_

_And all the sinners crawl."_

"_So they dug your grave_

_And the masquerade._

_Will come calling out_

_At the mess you made."_

"_Don't want to let you down,_

_But I am_

_Hellbound._

_Though this is all for you,_

_Don't want to hide the truth."_

"_No matter what we breed,_

_We still are made of greed_

_This is my kingdom come,_

_This is my kingdom come."_

"_When you feel my heat,_

_Look into my eyes,_

_It's where my demons hide,_

_It's where my demons hide._

_Don't get too close._

_It's dark inside._

_It's where my demons hide,_

_It's where my demons hide."_

"_They say it's what you make,_

_I say it's up to fate._

_It's woven in my soul,_

_I need to let you go."_

"_Your eyes,_

_They shine so bright,_

_I want to save that light._

_I can't escape this now,_

_Unless you show me how."_

"_When you feel my heat,_

_Look into my eyes,_

_It's where my demons hide,_

_It's where my demons hide._

_Don't get too close, _

_It's dark inside._

_It's where my demons hide,_

_It's where my demons hide."_

Xanxus jerked into action after that melodious voice finished the song. He stuck his head out the window, to see a tiny pair of feet swinging over the edge, and a fluffy head tilted up. He yanked his head back in and covered his mouth before he snorted. Of course it was the brat. Couldn't have been anyone else, could it?

And Jesus Christ, really, what the hell was up with those feet?

Xanxus left the room silently. He'd rather not face the young boy now. It seemed like an inconvenient time, and he really wasn't in the mood for silly babble anyways.

Despite Xanxus's vicious exterior, as a leader, he did know that it was important to know your team. He knew almost everything about the members of the Varia, but not much about the brat. And he acknowledged that. That was why he had been partially reluctant to invite the brat along. He didn't know him, didn't really trust him. The kid seemed to know a lot of things he shouldn't, too.

Understandably, even though Xanxus seemed brash and reckless, he did take some things very seriously. He wasn't the boss of the Varia for nothing. So he had taken a risk. By training him, he did think he got to know the boy a little bit better, but there were still some mysteries about the boy, and moments that made Xanxus question if everything he thought he knew was a lie.

But now, listening to the boy sing, Xanxus felt satisfied. He knew the boy a bit better. And the parts of the brat that didn't seem to fit together, making Xanxus think the boy was acting the entire time, suddenly seemed to slide into place, and the brat finally made sense.


	22. Chapter 22

no song this chapter

BUT I'M SO SORRY GUYS YOU'RE LITERALLY ONLY GETTING ANOTHER CHAPTER BECAUSE I NEVER HAD MY WORK SEPARATED BY CHAPTER AND I'M POSTING IT ALL WRONG

I'M SO SORRY

BUT ENJOY

XXXX

"Kokuyo Land." Gokudera growled, throwing Hibari's phone on the couch. "We should have seen this coming." Yamamoto sighed and plopped down on the other couch.

"Yeah. I hate to admit it, but I have a really bad feeling about this. I don't think Hibari's winning." Yamamoto confessed. Gokudera looked out the window.

"It's hard to imagine that bastard _not_ winning. But you're right." He sat down on the couch across from Yamamoto, careful not to sit on the phone. He sighed too, putting a hand against his forehead. They had gotten all the information from Shouichi, and currently, Kusakabe was running around in a tizzy, trying to get D.C. members together. Gokudera and Yamamoto were supposed to be coming up with a plan, but they just couldn't focus. Not under these circumstances.

"I miss Tsuna." Yamamoto said in a quiet voice. "A lot."

"Jyuudaime's only been gone a little bit more than a week." Gokudera snarled a reminder halfheartedly at the swordsman. "We'll do fine. We'll handle this."

"I still miss him." Yamamoto whimpered. "He'd know what to do, he'd handle this."

"As Jyuudaime's right hand man, I can handle this by myself." Gokudera snapped. But truthfully, he knew he couldn't. It wasn't that they couldn't take care of anything at all without Tsuna. No, they could do pretty well on their own. They'd been Kokuyo Gang Hunting since Tsuna was gone, caught two assassins, some chick named M.M. and a creepy old guy known as Birds. They _could_ handle things without Tsuna.

But this was Hibari. This was different.

Hibari was strong and unpredictable. How did they know he wasn't winning or dragging Mukuro's body back from Kokuyo Land as they spoke? Did they go in? Did they dare interrupt?

Mukuro was clearly strong too; what if he was winning? Mukuro was also smart; which meant that if they went in without a plan, they could get themselves killed.

What were they supposed to do?

They both thought they knew Hibari pretty well by then, but Tsuna knew Hibari even better. He would know what they should do.

"We should call Tsuna, at least." Yamamoto muttered.

XXXX

Tsuna was just sitting in his room, scrolling through emails, when Squalo burst through the door, looking like he'd just run around the entire mansion. Tsuna jumped when the door slammed against the wall.

"Squalo-kun?" He asked, surprised. Squalo shouted,

"VOIII! GET YOUR BATTLE STUFF, BRAT, ESTRANEO IS ATTACKING VONGOLA HQ AND WE'VE BEEN CALLED IN TO CRUSH THEM!" And then left abruptly, the door slamming behind them. Tsuna sat there for a moment, blinking in shock, before he sprang off the bed, grabbing everything he needed and changing quickly.

He met up with the Varia in the front area of the mansion, still inside. Squalo was ready, securing his communicator in his ear. Lussuria was fussing with his boa, while Bel hopped down the hall, trying to get one leg in his jeans. Mammon floated up behind Bel, smacking him in the head, which meant Bel lost his balance and fell flat on his face. He popped up immediately again, yanking his jeans on fully, and then going to put his shoes on. Tsuna had a rifle so generously provided to him by the Varia strapped to his back, a gun and a knife strapped to his leg, and plenty of ammo.

For about the first time ever, Lussuria had his metal plates on. It shocked Tsuna a little to see the motherly man actually ready to go out and kill people.

Levi, of course, was all ready and had been for a long time, like an eager puppy. Actually, the only one who wasn't there was Xanxus, and when he stormed down the hallway, they all knew he was ready to go. Squalo tossed communicators to everyone.

"NOW, BRAT, WE'RE GOING IN AS A GROUP, AND THEN WE'RE SPLITTING UP INTO TEAMS. LUSSURIA, ME, AND LEVI ARE GOING TO TRY TO KILL AS MANY ESTRANEO TRASH AS POSSIBLE. WE'LL SWEEP THEM STRAIGHT OUT OF THE MANSION. MAMMON WILL BE SNEAKING THROUGH AND CAPTURING ANY MAJOR ESTRANEO FOR INTERROGATION. YOU AND BEL WILL BE PICKING OFF ANY REMAINING ESTRANEO. XANXUS WILL DO WHATEVER. GOT IT?" Squalo roared in Tsuna's face. Tsuna nodded mutely.

"Got it." He said in a weak voice.

"DON'T FORGET TO USE YOUR COMMUNICATOR, BRAT!" Tsuna jumped, but nodded again. "VOIIII! WE'RE GOING TO HEAD OUT!"

They all jumped in a Hummer and set off for Vongola HQ.

XXXX

Vongola HQ was in flames.

Not even Dying Will flames, it was just on fire. People were running around everywhere, guns firing. Blood spattered the ground. Tsuna winced when he saw the scene, but this was what they were here to stop.

Actually, Tsuna had to say that he didn't think Vongola HQ was doing that bad, considering it was fighting a massive invasion of a supposedly dead Famiglia with serious firepower. Estraneo were strong. That was why they had survived the Vindice.

The first thing they did when they got out of the Hummer was head in. The Vongola forces had apparently been informed that the Varia were coming in, because they cleared out of their way.

And when they entered HQ, Tsuna finally saw why Lussuria, Squalo, and Levi were members of the team.

HQ was extravagant and elaborate, and beautiful. Even when it was burning and there objects strewn across the floor, along with the occasional body. Most of them were Estraneo.

When they entered HQ, Lussuria, Squalo, and Levi drew their weapons. There was a burst of fire and electricity, and a wave of people were knocked away. They tore through the mansion like some sort of tornado. Troops everywhere scattered as the Varia rushed in, fast and furious. Things exploded and shrapnel was everywhere. Mammon disappeared in the commotion, as did Xanxus, although Tsuna did see Xanxus move away, unlike the way Mammon just seemed to go invisible.

Bel and Tsuna were left standing in the wreckage. Tsuna whispered,

"What do we do?" Bel grinned.

"We kill any Estraneo in our path." He flipped out his knives and sprinted off down the hall, with Tsuna coming after him, yelling,

"Wait!"

As soon as they moved away from that initial center area, an Estraneo jumped out at Tsuna, firing at him. Tsuna dove to the side, by a giant cabinet, the bullets hitting the wood. Tsuna unslung the rifle from his back, and when Estraneo got closer, firing at Tsuna, the small boy sprung out, ducking right under the line of fire, and swinging the barrel of the gun up. It slammed into the Estraneo's chin, and Tsuna heard a sick noise as the man bit into his own tongue, deep. Blood dripped from his mouth as he stumbled back, eyes wide, making strange noises. Tsuna swung the gun again, striking the man against the temple and knocking him out cold.

He stepped back from the fallen man, bending down to check if he was still alive. Just in case. The man was, and Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief. He still wasn't comfortable with killing someone. After taking a few steps back from the man, he looked around for Bel, who he did not see around. Tsuna groaned. The rambunctious, murderous boy had probably run off to go and kill some people. And left him alone in the mansion.

Oh well. He'd find his way through the mansion. Besides, he could defend himself.

He hopped over the body, moving down the hallway. It was actually pretty easy to find Bel's trail-just follow the blood and bodies. The hallway split off into two, and once Tsuna spotted Bel's path, he figured he was never going to catch up to Bel anyways, and headed off in the other direction. At least this way, he wasn't just retracing Bel's steps and actually doing something useful.

Tsuna found his way down the hallway, where two Estraneo were grappling with a few men from the Vongola forces. As soon as Tsuna came in though, Estraneo started firing at him too, and things spiraled out of control.

Shots were being fired everywhere, with the Vongola men and Tsuna diving out of the way, firing back. Tsuna tripped over a lamp on the ground, forced himself to roll onto his back, aiming his gun up. He fired, and hit one in the chest. As the Vongola fired more at the Estraneo man, Tsuna flung the lamp at the Estraneo's face, flipped onto his stomach, and shot the Estraneo man in the kneecap.

The man screamed in agony, and Tsuna winced at the sick noise of the bullet smashing through the bone. The man fell to his knee, and Tsuna smashed him in the face with the rifle, effectively knocking him out. Tsuna hopped to his feet and sprinted out of the area before the Vongola could ask him any questions.

It went on like this for a while; since Squalo, Levi, and Lussuria had already charged through and most of the Estraneo was probably focused on fighting the large crowds of Vongola forces- only a few were still hanging back and that was what Bel and Tsuna were here to take care of. If he listened closely, he could hear the faint sounds of the senior assassins clashing with the Estraneo.

However, Tsuna had the misfortune to rush into a room filled to the brim with Estraneo, gathered around a man from Vongola that they were torturing. He froze, as everyone turned to look at them, pointing their guns. At that moment, Bel chose to get in contact with him.

"_Where is the little fox?"_ Tsuna blinked at the men.

"In deep shit."

And gunshots rang through the air.

Tsuna did what he could; he fired off an explosive round, lighting it with Dying Will flames.

The room exploded into fire and smoke, and Tsuna used the confusion to his advantage.

Tsuna dove out of the way, trying desperately not to get hit. He fired back, and flying kicked one man in the head, knocking him into another. He slipped under the body, using it as a human shield as he swung his gun around, simply firing and not aiming well. There were a _ton_ of Estraneo.

Tsuna was forced flat on the ground from the impact of a bullet hitting him in the chest. He gasped as all the air left his lungs, relieved Squalo had yelled at him until he put on a bulletproof vest. Otherwise, he was pretty sure he would be dead.

After the initial round of shots from Tsuna, it was minus at least six Estraneo and their fallen comrade filled with a lot of bullets. Tsuna still winced at the shots, but this was war. There were now about seven Estraneo left in the room. They had taken a few steps back. While there were more of them, Tsuna did have an advantage that they couldn't all just fire without taking the chance of hitting one of them, since they were all around the room. Especially because of the smokescreen; it was far more likely they would hit one of their own men than him.

Tsuna lunged for one of the tables and flipped it in front of him, so he could hide behind it. He quickly reloaded his gun, and peering over the table, only to duck back down because of the bullets and flames, he lit his hand up with Sky flames.

Tsuna twisted around, and popped over the table, firing, before throwing a fireball into the center of the room, where it exploded, once again. There was loud coughing and cursing from the other side, while Tsuna forced himself to keep his head cool and not panic. Really, he was tempted to just curl up behind one of the bodies and hide.

But he had to run. He would have better ground in the hallway; he could take them out as they came out, or run away if he really needed to. Staying trapped in this room wasn't helping anyone. He could also fire from the door and jerk out of the way if he needed to. Already, he had been clipped in the arm by a bullet, and had almost been knocked off his feet by his own explosion. He wanted to help the Vongola man they were interrogating, but he could do that after he saved himself first. Tsuna wouldn't be any good to him dead.

And also, one of the pros for running was that Tsuna was kind of terrified.

Strike that.

_Scared out of his wits._

_For Christ's sake, he was being shot at. He could die. _

So when the room caught on fire, hiding him from view, Tsuna took a deep breath.

_Stop your anxiety. Calm yourself. Think straight. If you don't, you'll die._ He told himself, but the other half of his brain was screaming,

_YOU COULD DIE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE? WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS? YOU'RE NOT PREPARED FOR THIS!_

_I don't want to die, I don't want to freak out, I can't die, I can't freak out, I need to stay in control._ _It's the only thing I can to do, so it's what I have to do._

Before he could chicken out, Tsuna jerked himself to his feet and sprinted out of the room, hearing the Estraneo shout and follow him.

As soon as he was out the door, he whipped to the side, fixing his gun in his hands. The moment an Estraneo exited the room, Tsuna shot him in the knee. The Estraneo screamed in pain, and Tsuna swung his gun, striking him in the head, and knocking him out. Tsuna didn't want to kill, but he needed to hit the Estraneo in a place that would bring him down and keep him down. The knee was definitely one of those places. Besides, it brought the man down to his level, so Tsuna could knock him out easily. Guns were pretty damn heavy. One swing was all it took.

The Estraneo inside heard the gunshot, and didn't exit after that, probably waiting for Tsuna to make a move. They knew their comrade had gone down and were being more careful about it. So Tsuna sprang over the body, sprinting down the hall, and jerking himself around the corner when he got there.

After they heard him run, the Estraneo burst out of the room, the last six of them, coming after him. They paused before they went around the corner, and Tsuna knew that they were probably lining up against the wall, ready to shoot. So he made the first move.

He braced his gun against the corner, moving into view just long enough to get off a few shots and see what he was shooting at. The six men immediately fired back, and Tsuna moved back to safety, breathing heavily. After he moved back and stopped firing, they did too. Tsuna reached up to the communication line.

"Bel?" He whispered, hs own voice sounding strange to his ears. Shots still rang in his head, the sound bouncing around in his skull.

"_The little fox is alive?"_ Tsuna nodded,e ven though Bel couldn't see him.

"Yeah. I think I may need some help over here. Where are you?"

"_You need help Tsuna-chan?"_ That was Lussuria. Technically, the com link was open to everyone, so anyone could hear what they were talking about.

"I think so. I may be having some trouble with a large group." They were in a stalemate; even if Tsuna threw a fireball, he was thinking that trick might have been overused and it wouldn't faze the Estraneo if they realized it wasn't being aimed lethally.

"_Where are you?"_ Tsuna looked around, finding a painting on the wall.

"The hallway with the painting of the sixth Vongola boss." Tsuna murmured.

"_Oh, honey, Squalo, Levi, and I are too far away to help. Bel? Are you close?"_

"_Nope. The little fox can handle it though, I'm sure."_ Tsuna probably could; he could run. There was a different hallway close enough. He could run and not let the Estraneo know. But he would be leaving a man behind in a burning room, and he didn't know if there was a way to get back around. Tsuna couldn't do that. He needed to get past them. That required going _through_ them.

"I just need a distraction." Tsuna whispered.

"_VOIIIIIIIIIIII! LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH THIS, YOU BRAT!"_ Squalo roared over the com. Tsuna winced, and touched his ear, but let the loud man continue. _"DESCRIBE IT TO ME, BRAT!"_

"Um, I'm down the hall, around the corner, six Estraneo around the corner, armed, man back in a burning room, I need to get past them."

"_BREAK SOMETHING!"_

"What?"

"_BREAK SOMETHING! MAKE THEM THINK YOU'RE ON THE MOVE, THEY'LL MOVE FORWARD, YOU SURPRISE THEM BY JUMPING THEM OUT. FIRE OFF A BUNCH OF SHOTS, SHOVE A FLAMING HAND IN THEIR FACE, DOESN'T MATTER. DON'T AIM LETHALLY, DO WHAT YOU CAN TO SURPRISE THEM. DON'T WASTE TIME. SPRINT PAST THEM, TRY TO SET FIRE TO THE HALLWAY AND MAKE A SMOKESCREEN, AND THEN GO TOWARDS YOUR DESTINATION. MOST VONGOLA ROOMS WITH A FIREPLACE HAVE A PASSAGE THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEAD YOU TO A DIFFERENT ROOM, SO IF YOU GO BACK THROUGH THERE, GET THE MAN AND FIND THE FIREPLACE. THERE'S A POKER ON THE WALL THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY JUST THERE FOR DECORATION, TAP IT THREE TIMES AND PULL ON IT, FIREPLACE SHOULD OPEN UP. CRAWL THROUGH AND YOU'LL BE IN ANOTHER ROOM. GOT IT, BRAT?"_ Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief that someone knew what they were doing.

"Thanks Squalo-kun."

"_VOII! I'M NOT FINISHED, BRAT! IF THERE ISN'T A FIREPLACE, THERE WILL BE A WEAK SPOT IN THE WALL NEAR ANOTHER ROOM. BURN IT DOWN. BREAK IT DOWN. GET THROUGH. LEAVE THE GUY BEHIND IF YOU NEED TO. BUT BACK TO THE BEGINNING; IN THAT HALLWAY, WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, TO MAKE THEM THINK YOU'RE MOVING, FIRE A FEW SHOTS AT THEM, AND THEN STOMP YOUR FEET A LITTLE BIT TO SOUND LIKE YOU'RE RUNNING. THEY'LL MOVE AFTER YOU IF THEY THINK THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE YOU. IF YOU CAN, ALREADY START A FIRE IN THE HALLWAY, JUST LET IT OUT OF CONTROL WHEN THEY GET THROUGH. IF NOT, JUST SURPRISE THEM, LIKE I SAID. YOUR OBJECTIVE IS TO CONFUSE THEM FOR A MINIMUM OF THREE SECONDS."_

"_THINK YOU CAN HANDLE THIS, BRAT?"_ Tsuna took a deep breath. Squalo made it sound a lot easier.

"Thank you."

"_NOW GO OFF AND BE VIOLENT, BRAT. MAKE US PROUD."_ Squalo clicked out of the com, and Tsuna decided it was high time to follow Squalo's advice. It was now or never. He jerked around the corner, firing off a few shots, before jerking back. He hurriedly stomped, like he was running down the hall. He lit his hand up in flames, following Squalo's instructions, and when the Estraneo came around the corner, Tsuna threw two fireballs at them in quick succession, actually lighting a few of them on fire by accident. There was a loud scream, and gunshots, and Tsuna threw down a fire ball, letting his Sky flames roar up violently, before he sprinted through them.

Xanxus had thankfully taught Tsuna how to keep in touch with his flames; he could make it so that they would never burn him. So he wasn't afraid to move through them.

But man, it was a bitch later, it made him so sore.

He ran past the Estraneo, firing at a few of them, and lit another fire in the hallway behind him. He heard gunshots behind him, but ran into the doorway of the room he was in before. It was in flames, having degraded from Sky flames to just normal flames, burning up the room. That was the thing; once he let his influence over the flames go, all Sky attribute left them, and it just became normal fire. There was nothing special about it.

But fire did make a great distraction. It wasn't the same as wielding his Sky flames as a weapon, but it was useful.

He burst into the room and weaved his way around the flames. These could actually burn him and hurt him. A sickening feeling settled in Tsuna's stomach as he walked over bodies. He could feel the bile rising in his throat, and he wanted to throw up. It was so wrong, so sick, he didn't want to participate in something like this.

But he wanted to stop Estraneo too. So bad. He couldn't let this sort of thing continue. He couldn't let Haruka die for nothing. He couldn't let these horrible people do these horrible things. But ending people's life was not and never would be a privilege. It was a terrible thing, no matter what they did, no matter who you were.

Tsuna headed towards the man in the middle of the room. As he got closer, he realized, that indeed, it was not a man, but a boy. He shook the boy as he untied him. Messy blonde hair covered his eyes.

"Please get up." Tsuna begged, as he cut through the ropes with his knife, before sheathing it again at his side. The boy stirred. He seemed to be about Tsuna's age, maybe a little older, but with a very mature look to him. He was smeared with blood, and looked a little banged up, but not seriously injured. Tsuna shook him again, and the boy's blue eyes opened slowly.

"Hm?" He murmured as he slowly woke up. Tsuna shook him a little more violently, sweating and close to panicking in the heat of the burning room. Besides, the Estraneo were coming. As the boy began to wake up, Tsuna turned around, aiming his gun, ready to shoot at anyone who walked through the door. He hoped the Estraneo would think he ran the other way and just kept running, but he didn't know for sure. _"Che cosa? Dove sono? Che cosa è successo?"_ Tsuna turned to blink at him, and said,

"I don't speak Italian." Desperately hoping to God that this boy did speak Japanese and didn't speak Japanese at the same time. Because it was a lot easier to talk to people he didn't know when he wasn't sure they could understand him at all. But he also really, really needed this boy to understand him. The boy blinked a couple times as he straightened up. As he did this, an Estraneo burst in through the doorway. Tsuna shot him in the gut a few more times than necessary, cringing as he did, and mouthing,

_Sorry._ He threw a fireball at him, which exploded in the doorway, and would block off passage for a few more seconds. He was buying time here.

"Has thou saved me?" The boy said, groggily, and a little unsure about his language. Tsuna had to wonder about his strange use of Japanese, but figured he'd leave it alone until they were in _a less life-threatening situation._ Tsuna shrugged.

"We need to get out of here; I didn't want to leave you here. Are you okay to stand up?" He said quickly, forcing his words out before he could clam up. A few Estraneo were shooting at him from the flames, and he fired back, as he pulled a small table in front of him, and bent down, yanking the boy with him. The boy slowly nodded, watching with groggy interest as Tsuna fired back. "Follow me." Tsuna whispered, grabbing the boy's wrist and yanking him up as he sprinted away from the doorway, throwing back another fireball. There wasn't a fireplace in the room, so Tsuna had picked a spot on the wall, further away from the doorway, and figured he would try to bust it down from there.

Using the strap attached to his rifle, he enabled the safety and slung it on his back. He turned to the boy, whispering,

"Can you fire back at them?" And pressing his handgun into the boy's hands. The boy nodded, looking more awake and eager. Tsuna lit both of his hands up with Sky flames. He knew he was probably sore and exhausted, but was running on so much adrenaline that he couldn't even feel any pain at the moment.

He placed them on the wall, and proceeded to burn the drywall, exactly when there was a huge explosion from the other side.

A loud bang sounded, and the blast knocked both Tsuna and the boy off their feet, slamming them onto the ground. Tsuna landed on his rifle, groaning, and half his face hurt from the heat and force of the explosion.

Tsuna's head had made some pretty hard contact with the floor, and his vision was sort of blurry as he looked up. But he could swear to God he heard an inhuman roar, an explosion, and a figure looming over them. The next thing he knew, he was beying yanked up, as was the boy next to him, and dragged through the gaping hole in the wall. He was too weak to fight back, all of his energy from the adrenaline having left him. It's like when you feel super hyper, but then you lie down and all your energy leaves you and you're just not going to get back up.

When Tsuna's vision finally cleared and he had something that resembled energy back in him, he was in a messed up room, that was mostly devoid of people. He didn't know where he was, but the lighting was bad and it looked like a fight had taken place. He was slumped against the wall, the boy next to him, unconscious. Tsuna blinked, panic rising in his throat as he realized that anything could have happened while he was out. He looked around frantically, his breathing speeding up, verging on a panic attack. His vision started to fade in and out weirdly, getting worse and worse.

But then he spotted the figure in the chair.

_Damnit, Xanxus, how do you find a chair exactly like yours in the midst of a battle?_

The massive, scarred man was sitting there, watching the two of them carefully.

"You're awake, brat." He said. Tsuna sucked in a loud breath as he jerked off the wall, finally fully coming into his consciousness.

"Xanxus-san." He said, his voice shaky. Xanxus shrugged.

"Heard where you were, I was in the neighborhood, and it seemed like things were getting bad."

"Th-thank you." Tsuna whispered breathlessly. He was truly grateful that Xanxus had come in and saved him. Hell, the man had busted down a wall for him. Tsuna could have hugged him, if he wasn't afraid that Xanxus would gut him if he did. "W-where are we?"

"Empty, hidden room. Kicked some of the Vongola forces out. I needed it. And a drink." Suddenly, Tsuna gasped, as the details of the fights came back to him. Oh God. Bodies. Blood. Burning. He lurched to his feet, spring across the room by a desk, and grabbing the garbage can by it so he could vomit into it.

He spent the next five minutes on his knees, gripping the edges of the garbage can as all his lunch left him. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth with a tissue off the desk, shoved the garbage can away, and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Xanxus eyed him carefully.

"You okay, brat?" Tsuna noddd, as his panic got worse.

"Just need a minute." He choked out, pulling his knees up to his chest. He set his head on them, hiding it, trying to ignore the disgusting smell of his own breath. He felt like he couldn't breathe; his head pounded and even the smallest sound was too loud. His heart was beating irrationally fast in his chest, and he had to shove aside images of the bodies when he started dry-heaving.

It took about ten minutes for Tsuna to calm himself enough to speak. Even then, he felt awful.

"Brat? Did you just have a panic attack?" Xanxus asked suspiciously. Tsuna let his head rest against the wall, face tilted up. He closed his eyes and nodded. Xanxus flicked his eyes towards Tsuna one last time, before looking away, as if to give Tsuna some time to pull himself together.

After a minute, he started talking, with his back to Tsuna.

"I've gotten in touch with CEDEF. I need to go secure Nono and the leader of CEDEF, and you're coming with me, brat." Tsuna straightened, more panic rising in his throat.

_No, no, no. This is not good. This cannot happen. This absolutely cannot happen._

"Lucky for you, this kid, Basil, is the baby of CEDEF. They'll be glad you saved him, brat."

"K-kay. A-are we going now?" Tsuna stuttered out. Xanxus snorted.

"Not bloody likely. Not until you pull yourself together, brat. I'm not going in there to let you have a panic attack in front of Nono. It would be fucking embarrassing." Tsuna swallowed, cringing at the taste, and nodded.

They sat in silence for some time, before strangely enough, Tsuna felt his phone buzz. He didn't really know why he had brought it with him. It seemed kind of stupid now. Who brought their phone to a battle? But he'd brought it, on a whim. Maybe his Hyper Intuition was trying to tell him something.

Looking at his phone, Tsuna saw he had four voicemails, two from Yamamoto, one from Gokudera, and one from Kusakabe. He frowned, and clicked on the one from Kusakabe, holding it up to his ear.

"_Sawada-kun, I don't mean to interrupt, I know you're very busy, but we have a problem. Kyo-san is missing, and has been for worrying amount of time. I can't find him, or get in touch with him, and he left his phone behind. We believe he got a lead of Rokudo, and may have actually found him. Or that Rokudo taunted him into coming somehow; Kyo-san left his phone here, and he received an unknown call from Kokuyo Land before he disappeared. I'm very worried; he hasn't been back yet, so I fear he may be in trouble. I just thought I should let you know."_ Tsuna listened to the other two, and was panicked to discover that they were about the same thing.

Rokudo was doing something terrible; Tsuna knew it, and he felt sick to his stomach. And it involved Hibari.

Not Hibari. Never Hibari.

A cold feeling filled him.

_I have to get back._ Was his only coherent thought. He needed to get back and help Hibari, find Hibari, save Hibari. He couldn't afford to waste time here. Hibari could die.

Tsuna looked up to Xanxus. There was no time to mess around. He couldn't waste time trying to deal with his father and Xanxus when they met up and Xanxus discovered the truth. He could see the terrible things that could result from that. It would destroy any bit of trust Xanxus had in him, and Tsuna felt like he couldn't afford to lose that, or the time that would come with it.

He had to man up. He had to do this. _Now._

"Xanxus." He started out, his voice strangely cold. All he could think about was Hibari and Rokudo. Goddamn it, he needed to be there. But he also needed to be here. He had to help the people here as well as the people there. He had to stop the Estraneo here, as well as Rokudo there. It was so complicated and jumbled and messed up. Who did he save? The Varia needed his help. So did Hibari. Vongola needed his help. So did Hibari. Nono needed his help. So did Hibari. His father needed his help.

But Hibari was family too.

Tsuna almost expected Xanxus to snarl at him, or snap at him, but the scarred man had noticed the dropping of the honorific, as well as the seriousness in his tone.

"Brat?" He asked, curiously.

"I need to tell you something important. It's about Vongola, and Sawada Iemitsu." Xanxus paused.

"I'm listening."


	23. Chapter 23

No song

CRIES A THOUSAND TEARS BECAUSE I POSTED THIS SO BADLY

I'M REALLY SORRY GUYS

BUT PLEASE ENJOY

XXXX

The explosion knocked both Iemitsu and Nono off their feet. Iemitsu liked to think that holed up in their secret little room, they had done a good job defending themselves while the Estraneo advanced. But once the grenade was thrown, things changed.

Iemitsu and Nono had just had a meeting, talking about the candidate and other important things about Vongola. It was solely between the two of them, so none of Nono's Guardians or members of CEDEF had been in the room. Most of them had probably been off somewhere else in Vongola HQ, talking with other Vongola members.

Iemitsu dove to get under Nono as he fell, so he could soften the old man's fall. Nono was powerful and wise, but the truth was, he was old, and one unlucky fall could very well mean the end of him. Nono landed on top of him, and Iemitsu grunted.

"Thank you." Nono muttered.

"No problem." Iemitsu murmured back. Quickly, Iemitsu fixed his gun in his arms, sliding away from Nono and firing at the bastards advancing. While he did, Nono grabbed his cane, lit it up with fire, and made a large sweeping motion, lighting the ground to create a wall of fire. Iemitsu fired through it, and yanked Nono to his feet. They had to get to the main room, where the Guardians would probably be. At least then they wouldn't be fighting alone.

Since, as of now, the secret tunnels that would have been used to smuggle Nono to safety had been blocked off by Estraneo. A feeling of dread filled Iemitsu as he was reminded once again, that they were up against an opponent that seemed to match them in strength and power.

Iemitsu's features schooled into a grim expression, as they snuck out of the room. He hoped that the Varia were here, because Vongola needed their help.

XXXX

"Xanxus-san?" Tsuna asked timidly, after spilling everything to Xanxus. Xanxus had listened to the story dangerously quiet, asking a few questions on occasion, a dark aura building up around Xanxus. Now, he was staring at the ground, and Tsuna was terrified of what Xanxus was about to do to him. Surely the Varia boss was going to rip him limb from limb. Even though Tsuna had said this before, he added, "I don't want to be Vongola Decimo. I just don't want Ieyoshi to be Vongola Decimo." Xanxus didn't say anything, and Tsuna started shaking like a leaf.

"Brat-," Xanxus started, and the room began to spin a little.

XXXX

Unfortunately, as luck would have it, Iemitsu and Nono got to the main room, the one with Nono's giant chair. That itself was not unfortunate; but there were only a few Vongola men there, no Guardians. They weren't in much better shape than they had been in the other room. But regardless, they still had to fight.

Iemitsu pulled out his gun and joined the fray.

After a few minutes of gunfire, flames, and exhaustion, Iemitsu pulled back to check on Nono, who had slammed an Estraneo in the head with his cane much harder than necessary, killing him instantly. Iemitsu breathed a sigh of relief and amusement as he watched Nono disappointedly fuss over how the blood had gotten on his favorite cane. While that happened, another Estraneo tried to attack Nono, who whirled around and slammed him in the face with his cane, knocking him down, before kicking his head to the side and curb-stomping him.

No matter how old Nono was, Iemitsu still found him to be one of the most dangerous men had had ever met. In fact, Nono would roast an enemy and use the burning body to warm up a cup of tea.

But there weren't enough men to keep the numberless Estraneo out, who kept filing into the room. Iemitsu always tried not to pull out the big guns when other men were around, as the fight was dangerous and could easily kill an ally on accident, but with the threat to Nono's safety, he was ready to.

Just as he was about to use his flame, most of the wall came flying in. Iemitsu and the other men dove to the side, dodging the rubble. However, Iemitsu couldn't help but notice the furious Flame of Wrath that had knocked the wall down. He grinned. Of course Xanxus would not use the door if he had the opportunity to knock the wall down. He squinted against the smoke. Xanxus's bulky figure was clear, but Iemitsu couldn't help but notice the much smaller figure next to him. That one, Iemitsu almost immediately recognized as Basil. It was the shape of the hair, he was sure. Good, though. Xanxus had found Basil, so that meant the boy was safe. Basil had become sort of like a son to Iemitsu.

But at the end of the line, beside Basil, was another small figure, noticeably slimmer and shorter than Basil. Iemitsu couldn't place the boy, but he knew the vague shape seemed familiar. Where had he met him before, again?

XXXX

As the three of them rushed into the room, Tsuna gunned down a line of Estraneo. He aimed for their shoulders and gut, too terrified to aim for the heart or the head. He didn't want to kill anyone…just to incapacitate them. A bullet to the shoulder seemed like a good way to go.

In addition, he lit the gun up with his Dying Will flames, so that they would have a bigger impact. This would ensure the paralyzation of the victim. Tsuna knew how each of the flames had their own specific attribute, like how Storm had degeneration, or Sun had activation (which was equivalent to healing powers). Sky was harmony. And it's harmony factor was terrifying. It could turn people to stone. Truth be told, Tsuna had not yet put enough _oomph_ into his flame to use that power, as both Fon and Xanxus had warned against it. It might be too much too soon. Tsuna had to get used to using what he had first. But if he focused more on the flame, he could put enough _oomph_ into the flame to make the victim _feel_ like they were turning to stone, and thus, paralyzation occurred. Only for a few minutes tops, but that was enough.

Xanxus was taking out Estraneo left and right, Vongola men fleeing as not to be incinerated with the angriest flame to have ever existed. On the other hand, Basil was going after Tsuna's paralyzed victims, knocking them out completely while Tsuna shot at more, ashamed of what he was doing.

It was actually very efficient to take out all those Estraneo. With Xanxus and Basil, the room was empty of Estraneo in a matter of seconds. It took longer for all the smoke and flames to clear. Tsuna coughed a few times while it did, and Xanxus glared down at him.

"Brat." Xanxus acknowledged. Tsuna wasn't quite sure what Xanxus meant, but he rolled with it.

As soon as the fight was over, Basil cried,

"Iemitsu-dono!" Tsuna felt the fear crawl up his spine and freeze him where he stood.

_His father._

He sort of knew Iemitsu would be here, but he was about to actually face him. The father that didn't even know him. Iemitsu and Nono came over, Nono hobbling a little. Iemitsu was still far enough away where he only focused on Basil, who he scooped up in a hug, exclaiming.

"You're okay!" A pang of jealousy went through Tsuna, accompanied by pangs of sadness and disgust. It wasn't that he didn't like Basil; he really did like the gentle boy so far. But he was allowed to feel jealous about his father treating another boy like his own son, while Tsuna had not seen Iemitsu in years.

The disgust and sadness that followed came from the sheer disappointment in his father, and Tsuna's own disgust about being jealous of Basil, the nice boy.

Nono went over to Xanxus, saying,

"Thank you, Xanxus. We really needed your team here-," Nono dropped off as he spotted Tsuna. The cane clattered to the ground as the old man's eyes widened. Iemitsu looked over, alarmed by the noise.

"Nono, are you-," Iemitsu almost dropped his gun, his eyes also widening as he saw his son. He rushed over, looking at Tsuna apprehensively. "Tsuna-?"

"Hi, Dad." Tsuna choked out timidly. Iemitsu took a step back, looking like he'd just been hit.

"Y-you're _talking._" Iemitsu realized. Then his face darkened. "You _shot_ people. My Tsuna would never do that." Iemitsu's eyes flicked up to Xanxus. "What has he done to you? Did he force you to come here? I'm not going to let him hurt you if you say yes." Iemitsu spat at Xanxus. Nono drew in a breath.

"Iemitsu!" Iemitsu glared at Xanxus.

"Why else would my cute, pacifist little son be here? Tsuna would never hurt anyone. Xanxus _did something_ to him." Iemitsu suddenly whirled around and grabbed Tsuna's shoulders roughly, his fingers digging into Tsuna's small frame. Tsuna jumped and gasped in surprise, but Iemitsu shook him, his face dark. "_Tsuna, what has he done to you?!"_ Xanxus punched Iemitsu so hard he knocked him off his feet. Iemitsu fell back over some rubble, and Nono sprang forward, pointing his cane at Xanxus.

"Xanxus! Stop it!" He ordered seriously. But Xanxus ignored him, stepping in front of Tsuna, who was shaking a little. He had never seen his father act like that, and to be honest, it scared him a little.

Iemitsu climbed to his feet, glowering at Xanxus, who growled out,

"Keep your hands off my recruit." A look of horror passed over Iemitsu's face.

"YOU'RE NOT RECRUITING MY SON! LET HIM GO AND LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Iemitsu roared, yanking out his gun. Tsuna had always known his father was impulsive and protective when it came to him, in his own weird way, but he had never realized to what extent. But then again, this was the mafia.

Xanxus, for once, did not lash out violently at Iemitsu. Instead, he smirked at him.

"What makes you think I forced him to come here?" Iemitsu shoved the gun very close to Xanxus's face.

"Step aside and leave my son alone."

"Iemitsu, Xanxus, you need to take a step back. We will talk out this misunderstanding at a different time-," Nono started sternly, looking very annoyed with the actions of both men.

"Shut up, Nono." Iemitsu spat out, and Tsuna was very abruptly reminded that CEDEF had almost as much power as Vongola. And in this case, Vongola was very fragile, as was its boss. At the current moment, staging a takeover of Vongola would be a piece of cake for the CEDEF. Nono wasn't as young as he used to be, and Vongola was almost in ruins. The organization was still powerful, but not held together well. Besides, Nono did not have the authority to command Iemitsu, nor Xanxus. He could give the Varia orders, but ultimately, Xanxus could decide not to follow them. The Varia were technically independent of Vongola, even though they were very deeply associated with it.

And Nono knew that too, apparently. Because he did not speak again in order to stop the two men. He simply could not. He did not have the power, physically or diplomatically.

Tsuna was really the only one who could do anything. He cleared his throat hesitantly.

"Dad…Xanxus is telling the truth. He didn't force me to come here, or stay here. I came to Italy asking for his help and I decided to join in on defending Vongola. I didn't have to. I could have left at any time. I'm here willingly." Iemitsu looked at Tsuna, shocked. Suddenly, talking to his father seemed easier, since Tsuna was sort of becoming filled with rage and bitter disappointment for the man. Besides, it helped his nerves to have Xanxus next to him.

"Why would you come here Tsuna? Why do you even know how to use a gun, or Dying Will flames? We didn't even know if you _had_ Sky flames!" Iemitsu exclaimed, taking a step back, his eyes full of confusion. Tsuna gave his father the most even look he could manage.

"You have to learn a lot of things when your father sends a hitman to train your twin brother to be Vongola Decimo." Iemitsu jerked back a little, and Xanxus smirked a bit. "I don't think I can count on my fingers how many people have tried to kill me so far. What were you _thinking_?" Tsuna's voice raised in volume a little. He was kind of enjoying seeing his father look like a wounded animal. "_You didn't even want me trained! I could have died! I should have died! Reborn wasn't even the one to save me!"_ Tsuna paused for a minute, taking a deep breath, before he could get himself worked up. Shouting wasn't his strong point. It made his throat hurt. Iemitsu blinked at him for a moment, before glaring at Xanxus.

"Why are you recruiting him?" Tsuna felt nauseous at the fact that his father had just completely ignored him. All that shouting…and he wasn't even going to answer him. "You were supposed to leave my son alone! It was just Ieyoshi who would have been involved! You had no right to try and get the Vongola Decimo's brother!" Iemitsu narrowed his eyes at Xanxus. Xanxus shrugged.

"I didn't know the brat was Decimo's twin until he told me twenty minutes ago. I didn't try to recruit him for his relations. I tried because he has skill and potential. Kid hacked our system a month or so back. Bel tracked him back, the brat escaped and stole the fucking car, before crushing my favorite car with it. I wanted to recruit him because your stupid brat had enough nerve to shove a gun in my mouth and make his demands." Xanxus folded his arms. "I'm not going to discuss this with such a useless father." Xanxus turned to Tsuna. "Let's go, brat." He grabbed Tsuna's arm and started pulling him away. Tsuna was so thankful for the acceptance from Xanxus. The conversation that had occurred before they arrived to save Iemitsu and Nono had put his mind at ease.

_"It's okay." Tsuna blinked._

_"What?" He asked, tentatively. _

_"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Iemitsu because he was a dick before but he's a bigger dick now. I'm mad at Nono because he's an idiot, I'm mad at your brother because he's also an idiot, and I'm mad at Reborn for not reminding Vongola about your claim on the position." Xanxus paused. "Actually, I'm pretty fucking mad at you for not telling me earlier, brat." Tsuna let out a sigh of relief. Thank God. He had been terrified of what Xanxus was going to do…._

_ Wait._

_ "My claim?" Tsuna asked cluelessly. Xanxus rolled his eyes._

_ "You're the oldest. It is rightfully yours." Tsuna understood __**that**__, but he was confused why Xanxus would mention it._

_ "But why are you mad about it?" _

_ "Why are yout not making your claim, brat?" Tsuna frowned at Xanxus's stony expression._

_ "I don't really want to be Decimo, and besides, don't you-,"_

_ "Shut up, brat. Just shut up."_

"What are you doing with my son?!" Iemitsu yelled furiously, springing forward. Xanxus growled.

"Leaving. My team tells me HQ is back in your hands. We have no obligation to stay."

"_That's my son you're taking with you! He's not a part of your team!"_ Xanxus whirled around, hand lighting up with the Flame of Wrath around Tsuna's arm. Tsuna immediately forced his flames past the limiters in that one area so Xanxus wouldn't burn his flesh off. It wasn't even a fighting or defense flame in particular. It just needed to be there for Tsuna not to lose his arm.

"He's my recruit."

"That's not enough." Iemitsu retorted. "You will let my son go and I will take him home where he is safe and doesn't have to fight your insane battles."

"He's a part of the team." Xanxus said in a dangerous voice. "Just as much as Bel, or Lussuria, or hell, even Squalo. Remember, _you disowned him. Vongola disowned him. Unless he chooses to join Vongola, he is not under your jurisdiction. Now fuck off before I burn your fucking face off._ _We called dibs on the brat first."_

"He's my son!"

_I don't consider you my father._

"I'm his father!"

_I'm not your son. Not anymore._

"He's not a part of the mafia!"

_I am._

"He's not a fighter!"

_Yes I am._

"He's right." Nono interrupted solemnly. "You have no jurisdiction over Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"I'm his father!" Iemitsu snarled out once again.

"You took an oath, Iemitsu. Famiglia before Family. This is a Famiglia matter, and thus, blood ties do not count for anything. You cannot do anything about this."

"He's not a part of the Varia!" Tsuna blinked, as he remembered what Lussuria had told him Xanxus had said when he had been attacked in his sleep by the Estraneo assassin.

_ "An attack on any one of us is an attack on all." He growled._

_"But Xanxus-sama, the trash isn't part of the Vari-," Xanxus threw a lamp at Levi to silence him._

_"Shut up, Levi. The brat is whatever I say he is. And Estraneo has just attacked one of us." Bel grinned and giggled._

In addition, Xanxus had told him something while they were on their way to Vongola HQ to fight the Estraneo.

_"Brat," Xanxus started. "If we're going into this against Estraneo, you're either with us or not."_

_"With you?" Tsuna asked curiously._

_"Going into this as a part of the Varia. As a member." Tsuna paused. Well, after all, members of the Varia had already participated in any attack on Estraneo. They had trained Tsuna, not just physically, but mentally too. And besides, Tsuna kind of liked the idea of being a part of something._

_He didn't want to fight for his life as an outsider. He didn't want to stand alone._

_"I'll go in as part of the Varia." Tsuna assured Xanxus quietly. Xanxus looked at him with an unreadable expression, before nodding._

_"Good. Now get your shit together brat, before you die a horribly painful death." Xanxus snapped._

"I'm a part of the Varia." Tsuna said quietly, making everyone look at him. Iemitsu looked pale. Nono cleared his throat.

"Pardon?"

"I agreed to it. I am a part of the Varia." Tsuna admitted. He flicked his eyes to Xanxus's face carefully, and realized that Xanxus was looking pretty damn smug. "So I will be going with Xanxus-san." Tsuna looked down at his feet. "It was nice meeting you, Nono-san, Basil-san. Goodbye." He turned to follow Xanxus out, with Basil calling after him cheerfully,

"Goodbye Tsuna-dono! I do hope to see thee again!"

As they walked out of the room, leaving Tsuna's dumbstruck father behind, Tsuna jabbed Xanxus in the arm, muttering,

"Stop smiling."

XXXX

When they got to the cars, Xanxus and Tsuna were the first ones there. Apparently, Bel and Levi had picked a fight with a few Vongola members and the others were having some problems keeping it under control. So they stood their for a little, leaning against the car, before Tsuna asked quietly,

"Xanxus-san? Are you really okay with Iey-kun being Vongola Decimo?" Xanxus stiffened, his expression taking a sour turn.

"Brat, I believe you when you say you don't want to be Vongola Decimo. That's it. That's where the controversy ends. Got it, brat? Besides, I had my suspicions." He snarled at Tsuna, jerking his head in order to frighten the boy, who jumped, nodding frantically. "Tch." Xanxus looked back. There was another moment of silence, before Xanxus said, "I'm going to turn you into Varia boss material."

"Eh?!" Xanxus flicked his eyes towards Tsuna, snorting.

"Someone's gotta take over for me when I become Decimo." Tsuna's eyes widened. Of course, he had been thinking that Xanxus was probably going to be Decimo, but he hadn't really thought about who was going to take over for Xanxus, since Xanxus was going to turn his team into Guardians.

"But-," At that moment, the rest of the Varia walked up, bloody, and either grinning or glaring, so the conversation ended there.

XXXX

"I didn't realize how much Tsunayoshi-san looked like-," Nono fell silent as Iemitsu whirled around. Iemitsu was throwing a temper tantrum. Which was sort of understandable.

"Like who?" Iemitsu growled. Nono shrugged

"Primo." Iemitsu froze, and then abruptly turned his head, beginning to pace.

"No he doesn't." He insisted. Nono shrugged again, ignoring Iemitsu.

"He looked a little like Primo when he was little, but now he looks almost exactly like him. Do you think that perhaps-?"

"Perhaps what?" Iemitsu demanded. Nono took a deep breath, ready to venture into uncharted territory. It was time to be serious with Iemitsu.

"Perhaps we should reconsider our choice in the candidate for Vongola Decimo." Iemitsu stopped for a second, before glaring at Nono.

"NO! Absolutely not!" Nono gave him a passive stare.

"He has power and potential, and clearly, the mindset he will need." Iemitsu threw his hands up into the air.

"But Tsuna is-!"

"No longer the defenseless, mute, peaceful little boy you picture him as." Nono finished. He granted Iemitsu a stony look. "You are letting your emotions get in the way. We cannot let Vongola disown such potential."

"He's not the oldest." Iemitsu growled out the lie. He thanked every deity known to man that he'd managed to hide it from Nono so far.

"They're twins." Nono retorted.

"He's still not technically the oldest." Iemitsu fired back. Iemitsu, by this point, was sure that Reborn knew Ieyoshi wasn't the oldest. But it seemed like Nono knew that Tsuna was the oldest. So no one brought it up, assuming Nono already knew.

Iemitsu loved his sons. He did. He was so proud of Ieyoshi, and all his strength and good-looks, and popularity and his effort. It was everything he wanted in a son. And he loved Tsuna too. Tsuna had never been the picture perfect son, but he was absolutely perfect to Iemitsu. The gentle, peaceful, quiet, shy little boy with his mind somewhere else and a beautiful voice. Iemitsu only wanted the best for Tsuna! He couldn't let Tsuna get mixed up in all this violence and death! What kind of parent would force their son into it? Iemitsu still felt bad about doing that to Ieyoshi, but he was the only other candidate, and Iemitsu knew that Ieyoshi would want it and that Ieyoshi could handle it. Tsuna was a different story altogether.

When Iemitsu had seen Tsuna, there had been so many things he had wanted to know, so many things he didn't believe about his son being there, but he choked up and his mind went blank and he couldn't think of a single damn thing. He scrambled for questions to ask, confusing himself.

Maybe, to Iemitsu, he really did think of Ieyoshi as the older one. He knew that Ieyoshi was younger, but in his heart, felt that Ieyoshi was older. After all, he always pictured Tsuna as the little boy tugging on his pant leg or sleeve, shyly hiding his face, and Ieyoshi as a brash teenager, able to take care of himself. When truthfully, Ieyoshi was the child that needed taking care of, and Tsuna was the capable teenager.

But it was the way he pictured Tsuna, and despite watching his innocent son gun down an enemy, he couldn't let go of the image and felt a strong need to save his son from the fate of being a Mafioso.

"Iemitsu, I'm afraid that if you don't clear your head soon in order to give me a rational reason, I will be changing my chosen candidate to Tsunayoshi-san, and you do understand what that means." Iemitsu's head snapped towards Nono, eyes wide with horror. Tsuna and Ieyoshi would be forced to fight each other for the position. Most likely to the death.

"You wouldn't." He hissed. A said expression spread across Nono's face.

"Iemitsu, you are like a son to me. I've loved you like my own and I trust you beyond all else. But you are making a mistake. You need to look at the potential and skillset of each, not just pick blindly."

"I didn't pick blindly-," Iemitsu started indignantly, but Nono held up a hand to stop him.

"Think about what I said, Iemitsu." Nono turned and walked out. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an HQ to rebuild."

XXXX

As they were in the car, Tsuna explained the grave situation with Hibari to them, and then asked to borrow Bel's phone, since it was an iPhone and Tsuna needed to look up flights to Japan. He needed to get there as soon as possible.

However, when he asked for Bel's phone, Bel just cackled at him. Tsuna frowned, the feeling of dread for his friend building up dangerously. He didn't see anything funny about the fact that Hibari could be hurt or dead.

"What?" He snapped.

"We have a jet, Tsuna-chan." Lussuria added in before Bel could answer. "We can fly you there as soon as possible, and get you medical attention while you're on the jet." Lussuria flicked his eyes to Xanxus. "That is, if Xanxus allows it."

"Give the brat what he needs and send him off." Xanxus growled back flippantly, sipping something from a bottle, while muttering something angrily about an injury. All of the Varia, including Tsuna, had sustained some sort of injury, but none were too serious.

Tsuna smiled at the group, including the grouchy Xanxus.

"Thank you!" He squeaked. Lussuria scooped Tsuna up into a hug.

"It's our pleasure, Tsuna-chan~!"

XXXX

Thanks to the Varia, Tsuna was in Japan in only about an hour. Lussuria had even called ahead and got some professional driver to drive Tsuna back to Namimori. When Tsuna said professional, he meant _professional_. Fancy cars, high wages, snooty attitude. But when Tsuna climbed into the car, smiling at him, Tsuna saw that the man look kind of terrified. He figured it was because the man knew the Varia were mafia, and was afraid to think about who Tsuna might be.

While they were in the car, Tsuna called Yamamoto.

"Yamamoto?" He asked gently.

_"Tsuna?! You're back!"_ Yamamoto shouted cheerfully through the line. Tsuna smiled at Yamamoto's enthusiasm.

"Yeah; I'm heading to Namimori right now. As soon as I get there, we're going over to Kokuyo Land, okay?" Tsuna could picture Yamamoto frowning a little.

_"We're going to help Hibari?_"

"I have a bad feeling about this, so yes. Can you run by my house and get Reborn? Take him with you to Kokuyo Land. I'll meet you guys there." Tsuna chewed on his lip, a little hesitant about bringing Reborn along, but somehow knowing that it was very important that they did. Hibari had gone alone and probably been defeated, which scared Tsuna. Even if Hibari wasn't defeated, he was 99.9% sure that his close friend had been badly hurt, and that made knots twist in Tsuna's stomach. He hated the idea of Hibari being hurt.

But Hibari was stronger than Tsuna; even with all of his training, Tsuna was sure that Hibari was still stronger than him. If Hibari had been defeated, Tsuna would need help to defeat Rokudo.

_"Are you sure about that, Tsuna? I mean, Reborn doesn't know about the Varia or the Estraneo or your training."_ Tsuna shrugged, even though Yamamoto couldn't see him.

"We need to bring him along." Tsuna said, quiet and solemnly.

_"Kay then. I'll pick him up. When will you be here?"_

"Er….half hour? Maybe less? Pretty soon. I'm just going to swing by my house and dump my stuff, then I'll meet you there." Now, Tsuna was thinking that he could use the rifle he had been given, alone with the knife, against Rokudo. It was a hell of a lot better than just using a handgun.

_"Got it. I'm bringing Gokudera and Kusakabe's tagging alone, since he's worried about Hibari."_ Tsuna bit back a protest. Kusakabe had ever right to come along as did Gokudera. He really just didn't want them hurt.

"Okay." He admitted unhappily. "I'll see you soon?"

_"See you soon, Tuna!"_

"Oh, and Yamamoto?"

_"Yeah, Tuna Fish?"_

"I missed you too." Tsuna said, his eyes feeling wet as he realized that it had been too long since he'd talked to or seen Yamamoto. He just wanted to hug his best friend. _"And please tell that to Gokudera-kun too."_

_"I'll pass on the message then! You can tell me how everything went with the Varia and the Estraneo! Bye for now!"_

"Bye." They both hung up, and Tsuna leaned back in his seat, biting his lip nervously. He shut his eyes.

_Everything will be okay._

XXXX


	24. Chapter 24

No song

Okay and because I'm such a terrible person I may have accidentally put new content from my unfinished chapter into this one? I really don't know, so you may just want to reread this chapter just in case

Sorry guys!

Enjoy!

XXXX

After a quick detour at his house, he arrived at Kokuyo Land, the assault rifle slung across his back, gun holstered on his right leg, knife sheathed on his left, in place for easy access. When he came over to the group, smiling, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Kusakabe, and Reborn looked shocked.

"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn started. "Why do you have an assault rifle?" Tsuna winced briefly and shrugged, giving him a pleading look not to ask.

"Tsuna, you look like you're ready for a war!" Yamamoto exclaimed. "Like, Steampunk or something. It's cool!" He shot Tsuna a thumbs up. Gokudera looked at Tsuna with shining eyes.

"Jyuudaime is always cool!" Tsuna blushed.

"Sawada-kun…" Kusakabe started tentatively. Tsuna blinked at him.

_Yes?_

"Is that blood on your knife?" Tsuna froze, looking down at his knife, pulling it from the sheath. Sure enough, there was dried blood spattered on the handle and soaking the blade. He rubbed the back of his neck, the image of him stabbing an Estraneo coming to him, making him wince.

"Maybe?"

"Tsuna, what the hell were you doing in Italy?" Reborn demanded. Tsuna shook his head, and tried to push the subject away.

"It doesn't matter right now. We just need to get in and help Hibari-san, okay?" He sheathed his knife. "I'll tell you later." He whispered. Reborn eyed him carefully, but sighed. Tsuna's eyes flicked to Leon, who seemed to be in an odd state on Reborn's shoulder. "Is Leon okay?" Tsuna asked curiously. The green lizard was now in a blob-like glowy state. He actually looked kind of sick. Reborn patted his partner gently.

"He'll be okay soon enough. Are we going to do this or not?" Reborn smirked at Tsuna. Tsuna nodded, and then turned to Yamamoto and Gokudera.

"Yamamoto, Gokudera-kun, Kusakabe-san, you need to promise me something." He said softly.

"Anything, Jyuudaime!" Tsuna flinched, knowing Gokudera wasn't going to like what he was about to say.

"You need to stay away from Rokudo."

Cue uproar.

"WHAT?!"

"WE COULDN'T LEAVE YOU, JYUUDAIME!"

"SAWADA-KUN, REALLY-," Tsuna shook his head, practically able to feel the knowing look on Reborn's face.

"Rokudo not only uses illusions, but he has the ability to possess people. Guys, he won't possess me because he wants to fight me, but he will possess you. I just can't-," Tsuna broke off for a moment, looking at his feet. "I can't let you guys get possessed. I'll be okay. Reborn will be with me. And there are still three other members of the Kokuyo Gang. I think…I think if I went against Rokudo one-on-one, I might be able to win. Especially because he's definitely wounded if he fought Hibari." Tsuna gave his friends a desperate look. "_Please._"

"BUT JYUUDAIME!" Yamamoto set a hand on Gokudera's shoulder, giving Tsuna a careful look behind a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, before he turned to Gokudera and said cheerfully,

"Ma ma, Gokudera! Tuna Fish can take care of himself!"

"BUT-," Kusakabe, taking the strategic route, nodded.

"Sawada-kun is right. We'll only get in the way. Besides, we do need to get rid of the other members."

"But-," Tsuna shot Gokudera a pleading look, and the adamant, determined look in Gokudera's eyes faded away, as he sighed.

"Fine." He muttered. "But if Jyuudaime gets hurt-," He started to threaten Yamamoto and Kusakabe. Reborn nailed him in the head with a flying kick.

"Yes, yes, we get it, you'll blow them up. Are we going to fight or not?" Tsuna smiled a little at Reborn's impatience.

"Before we go in," Tsuna started, and then reached over and hugged Gokudera tightly. He went down the line then, Yamamoto, and then Kusakabe. He pulled back, smiling at them. "I really missed all of you." Yamamoto laughed lightly.

"Missed you too, Tuna. Take us with you next time."

"Definitely."

XXXX

They split up once they entered Kokuyo Land, with Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Kusakabe seeking out other members of the Kokuyo Gang. Reborn tagged along with Tsuna, firing question after question at him as they walked.

"Tsuna, where were you really?" Reborn demanded. Tsuna flicked his eyes to him solemnly.

"I can't tell you, Reborn." Truth be told, Tsuna felt very, very small inside. He had almost completely forgotten the terror that Reborn could imbue him with, just by tilting his hat over his eyes and giving him a snake smile.

"Tsuna." Reborn said sharply, his voice changing in such a way that it sent chills down Tsuna's spine. Tsuna fought not to tremble, and instead, focused on Hibari. He had to help Hibari. He had to save Hibari. And if those words were a strange thought indeed, Tsuna did not think anything of it. Because Hibari was his friend and Hibari needed his help.

"Please don't make me tell you right now, Reborn." Tsuna whispered. There was too much to tell right then. And he just didn't want to go into it. He had _shot people_. He just didn't want to talk about it.

"You are not supposed to be lying to me and hiding things from me." Reborn hissed. "I'm the Mafioso here." Clearly, it did not sit well with Reborn to be in the dark. Tsuna let out a breath, shutting his eyes tightly for half a second before opening them, in case he tripped or something.

"Talk to my dad after this." Tsuna said quietly. Reborn seemed a little more curious on the subject, but let it go. As they walked, Reborn finally broke the silence again, by saying,

"You've come far, Tsuna." Tsuna opened his mouth, curious, about to ask Reborn to elaborate, when a voice boomed from the falling-apart building they were about to enter.

"Hello Tsunayoshi-kun. I see you have arrived. Please enter the building." Tsuna searched for the speaker, and found it quickly. He had never heard Rokudo's actual voice, but somehow, Tsuna found that this voice could not have belonged to anyone else. Looking down at his feet nervously, feeling like he was going off to his death, he reached for the door handle.

"Are you ready for this?" Reborn probed nonchalantly. Tsuna nodded, thinking of Hibari. He opened the door, praying to every god known to mankind that they would get through this.

The building was a mess; sadly abandoned, furniture lying everywhere, scattered papers, broken windows, empty halls. The voice came on a few more times to give Tsuna directions, until eventually he found the room with Rokudo.

Rokudo was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, half in shadow, but from what Tsuna could see, Rokudo had bluish hair, in a pineapple like style, one red eye and one blue eye, the red one having a kanji symbol in it. Rokudo was recognizable from his child pictures. There was no mistaking him.

"Rokudo Mukuro." Tsuna said quietly. Rokudo cocked his head to the side.

"How can you be sure that I'm Rokudo Mukuro?" Rokudo asked curiously. Tsuna ignored the question, and gave him an even look. Tsuna was absolutely sure that under normal circumstances, this man would terrify him beyond all belief. But Rokudo had Hibari, he'd _hurt _Hibari. To put it vulgarly, Tsuna wasn't fucking around.

Well, maybe he was still afraid. But he refused to tremble, refused to allow his knees to knock, or to run away, or to go silent, because he needed to stand up to Rokudo in spite of his fear. If Tsuna didn't stop Rokudo here, Tsuna had no doubt that Rokudo would kill his friends. He needed to be serious, needed to fight Rokudo. He needed to not be Dame-Tsuna.

He needed to be the Varia boss Xanxus said he was going to turn him into.

"Where's Hibari?" Tsuna asked in a soft tone of voice. Rokudo pursed his lips and huffed.

"No formalities, no nothing? You're just going to make demands?" Tsuna didn't answer, and Rokudo rolled his eyes. In horror, Tsuna saw the kanji change, and slowly, emerging from the darkness, there was a figure shuffling out, possessed.

It was Hibari.

Tsuna almost screamed.

Hibari was soaked in blood, limp, clearly showing that Rokudo was just moving the body, and there was no conscious person in there. Tsuna's eyes flicked to the various wounds, and he covered his mouth with his hands before he could shriek.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Rokudo smirk.

"As you see, if you want your friend back-,"

Tsuna whirled around at Rokudo in a way that startled even Reborn, swinging his rifle in front of him in one fluid motion, turning off the safety, shoving a clip in roughly, cocking it and firing, all in a matter of seconds. Rokudo doubled over, gasping from the bullet wound in his stomach.

"Tsuna!" Reborn said, sharply and in shock.

"Let. Him. Go. Or I will shoot your goddamn head off." Tsuna said through gritted teeth. It was terrible enough that Hibari had been defeated and badly wounded. That would practically destroy Hibari's pride. But to be puppeteered around as a twisted version of himself? That was just sick.

"Kufufufufu…." Rokudo straightened up, grinning. "You are not at all like I thought you would be."

"Let him go." Tsuna repeated, feeling numb at seeing Hibari like that. Strong, powerful, undefeatable Hibari. Rokudo's grin widened, and then they were swallowed up by an illusion.

It was all darkness at first, twisting and turning around, leaving Tsuna trying to follow a vague moving figure, spinning, confused. He couldn't tell which way was up and which way was down. He could swear he had fallen, but he didn't feel any ground beneath him, just a nothingness blocking out his vision. He was starting to get scared. What did he do? Where was he? Was Reborn okay? What about Hibari?

_I'm going to die. I'm going to die in the middle of nothingness, not knowing I'm dying until my final breath._

When the darkness finally lifted, Tsuna was flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling, and bleeding from a cut on his head, where he'd scraped it against the ground. He gasped, and twisted to find Reborn. Reborn was beside him, nodding at him to assure everything was all right. Rokudo was on the other side of the room, where Hibari was lying at his feet. Rokudo sighed.

"I didn't realize how broken his body really was. He barely held up for more than a minute." Sounded like Hibari. Tsuna pushed himself up into a sitting position, panicked, while Rokudo smirked at him. "What now, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Tsuna tried to lurch to his feet, just as Rokudo stabbed downwards at Hibari. A strangled noise tore itself from his throat, and he was suddenly hit with another illusion of darkness.

The worst thing about that illusion was that it wasn't just visible. It felt real. Tsuna was spinning, spinning out of control. He wanted to scream. It was obvious that Hibari couldn't take many more injuries without dying, and Tsuna was stuck in a horrible illusion. His Hyper Intuition wasn't strong enough in his regular state to work past the illusion. He couldn't get out of it.

When it finally ended, Rokudo was still grinning at him from the other end of the room. Tsuna abruptly sat up, breathing heavily, feeling numb.

"Reborn." Tsuna choked out, trying to force back the tears pricking at the back of his eyes from the fear. That darkness…was terrifying, suffocating. This situation was spiraling out of control and Tsuna was going to have to watch his friend die here if he couldn't do anything.

He'd never felt so helpless.

"I can't help you, Tsuna." Reborn answered quietly. "You have to stop Rokudo yourself."

"But-….My flames as they are won't be enough…I can't fight him like this…" Tsuna whimpered. Reborn rolled his eyes and snorted.

"You are the direct descendant of Vongola Primo, the heir to the Famiglia. If things were as they should be, you would stand atop the mafia world, sitting in a chair made from the skulls of your enemies. You have both the blood and power of Primo in your veins. Primo was the strongest boss who ever lived. You may have other methods, but never forget that you are Vongola, if nothing else."

_Hyper Dying Will._

"You can win this battle, idiot." Reborn said, rolling his eyes again.

_Oh._

Tsuna forced himself to his feet, taking a deep breath.

"Kufufufu…there is nothing you can do to stop me Tsunayoshi-kun."

_Yes there is._

Truthfully, Tsuna thought that with his current skill set, he would probably be able to fight Rokudo Mukuro. The only problem was the illusions. But with his advanced Hyper Intuition in Hyper Dying Will mode…that would not be a problem. Plus, hopefully the power up would be enough to crush Rokudo.

Tsuna closed his eyes for a second, digging up the nostalgic feeling he needed, accompanied by a fiery determination to save Hibari.

He didn't have to dig for long.

When his eyes snapped open, they glowed. A flame burned on his forehead, one that felt like it was giving off the heat of the sun, even though Tsuna himself did not feel it. His eyes narrowed. Even Tsuna's voice changed, to be almost monotone and mechanic.

"Don't underestimate me." At that moment, Leon floated into the air. Emotionlessly, Tsuna tilted his head back to see the glowing ball of Leon. It only took a moment, before Leon flashed brightly, and then a pair of gloves fell to the ground. Curious, Tsuna stooped to pick them up, and then examined them. His Intuition told him they were important and somehow powerful, but not quite how. Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's shoulder and spoke quietly.

"Leon made these especially for you. Wear them. He made them for a reason." Tsuna pulled on the fingerless gloves, and suddenly, they transformed into gauntlets, with an emblem on the back, an X on it, and the word Vongola etched into it. A smile slowly spread across Tsuna's otherwise emotionless face. Reborn saw it, and hopped off of Tsuna's shoulder knowingly.

Slowly, Tsuna turned to Rokudo. He tilted his head to the side, and Rokudo shifted a large trident in his hands, an amused look on his face.

"Kufufufu….looks like this is going to be more interesting than I thought it would."

XXXX

When Rokudo had told Ieyoshi that Tsuna was powerful, Ieyoshi didn't really believe him. He knew that his brother had some fighting skill, but he didn't really believe that mute little Tsuna was actually powerful.

But now, everything was different. Seeing Tsuna matching Mukuro, that dead look in his eyes, and the flames. Ieyoshi was afraid of his brother. Something he'd never thought would happen. Sure, he'd been a little bit afraid of Tsuna before, but that was a freak incident- his brother had been like a demon there. It ws an anomaly. It wasn't going to happen again; Ieyoshi had been sure of it. But turns out he was wrong.

Rokudo had kept Ieyoshi out of the room. The younger twin was currently watching the fight on cameras in a separate room. When taking the precautions, Ieyoshi had laughed at Rokudo, demanding why he needed to hide from his brother who would be too inadequate to find him in the room, let alone believe Ieyoshi was working with Rokudo. If anything, Tsuna would try as hard as he could to beat Rokudo, thinking Ieyoshi was being held captive. And Rokudo could beat him down.

However, Rokudo had just given him a strange smile, and said,

"Your brother would know." Ieyoshi had originally believed the thought was ridiculous, but it didn't seem so ridiculous anymore. It was like Rokudo had known about the Vongola Hyper Intuition and Tsuna's particularly strong affinity for it.

Ieyoshi blinked at the screen as his brother flew across it. It was…unbelievable.

"Oh my god." Ieyoshi whispered, watching the screen carefully. How could that monster even be his brother anymore?

He wrapped his arms around himself uncomfortably. To be honest, Ieyoshi was afraid of what Tsuna would do to him in this situation. This Tsuna, this Hyper Dying Will Tsuna had a conscience, but he was colder, more calculating, more confident, and was not scared to hurt people. Not like his bumbling brother, who was strong but too loving. If he saw Ieyoshi, how long would it take him to realize that keeping him around wasn't worth the risk? That the only reason to leave Ieyoshi alive at all was because he was Tsuna's brother? Ieyoshi wasn't sure that this version of Tsuna wouldn't get rid of him. It would be the safest thing to do. And Ieyoshi didn't want to die.

If there was one thing Ieyoshi valued above everything else, it was himself.

XXXX

"You're quite good, Tsunayoshi-kun" Rokudo said, grinning. However, he was covered in sweat, and sustained a few injuries. Obviously, he was not holding up as well as he hoped against Hyper Dying Will mode Tsuna. Tsuna stared back at him emotionlessly. Tsuna did have a few injuries from Rokudo's trident; but he wasn't worried about Rokudo's power of possession. Rokudo was far too proud to possess Tsuna; besides, even if he did that, it would mean nothing. Tsuna was not the one with the power in Vongola. And Reborn could always kill Tsuna if Rokudo did take over. In his emotionless state, Tsuna knew he didn't want to die, but he was only thinking practically. Reborn had spoken to Tsuna before about contingency plans, but only now was Tsuna understanding the necessity of them.

He blocked another swing of Rokudo's trident with a flaming fist. He batted it away, ducking in close, forcing Rokudo to suddenly switch to his path of beasts to keep from being dealt a terrible wound. Snakes sprung at Tsunas face, but he simply threw a wave of fire in front of himself, burning them to ashes before they could touch him. Rokudo swung around to attack Tsuna from behind, but Tsuna used his flames to jump into the air and spin around, blocking the trident with his foot, before flipping and bringing it down on Rokudo's shoulder. Rokuso shoved the trident up jerkily, and Tsuna barely managed to snap his foot back before it was impaled.

Rokudo blinked up at Tsuna floating in the air, looking down passively. He smiled.

"Kufufufu…Tsunayoshi-kun…why don't you come down from there?" Tsuna threw a fireball at his head in response. Rokudo ducked out of the way, his eyes bursting with mist flames as he did, in order to keep up with Tsuna. Tsuna blocked another thrust from the trident, dodging a bunch of snakes as they burst forth. He ducked under them, trying to get closer to Rokudo, who swung the trident at him. Tsuna blocked, but not well enough, because Rokudo flipped the trident in his hands, the bottom of it smacking Tsuna and making him stumble back.

Rokudo pressed on from there, grinning, and twirling the trident at such a high speed that Tsuna had trouble constantly dodging, and was sliced on either arm. He didn't falter though, as if he felt no pain. He rushed forward, trying to make up for being driven back. When Rokudo came at him with the trident, after seeing Rokudo's technique in twirling it with his hands, Tsuna latched onto the end of it as Rokudo thrust it out at him, yanking it quickly from Rokudo's hands only by a couple of inches, but just enough to twirl it and land a fist to Rokudo's gut. With unbelievable strength, Rokudo ripped it back from Tsuna, gasping, before slamming the trident into the ground and swinging around it martial arts style, catching Tsuna in the side with his foot.

As Tsuna went flying into the wall, he realized Rokudo had set up a mini trident, in order to send Tsuna into it from behind and impale him from the back. Rokudo winked and waved at Tsuna as he moved towards it.

_Shit._

Tsuna turned himself midair, catching the edge of the trident with his foot carefully, and pushing himself up with his flaming hands, so that he ended up standing on the trident instead. He launched back off the wall at Rokudo, only succeeding in a glancing hit before he had to duck backwards.

Rokudo grinned at him, planting the end of the trident on the ground and shifting his weight to lean against it.

"Are you so sure you can beat me, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Rokudo asked, clicking his tongue. "I mean, it does seem like you have far too much to lose…." Tsuna gave him a sort of passive-aggressive look, before throwing a fireball at Rokudo's head. Rokudo dodged it, and Tsuna decided to step up his game.

He grabbed the rifle off of his back, swinging it around and preparing it to fire. Rokudo raised an eyebrow.

"Kufufufu…isn't that considered cheating, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Tsuna didn't bother to answer; no real need for words in his fight. He already knew how any conversation would turn out, or how it wouldn't. He couldn't convince Rokudo not to fight, to surrender. Besides, Tsuna didn't believe there was a way to cheat in a fight. Fights were literally hitting other people with blunt or sharp objects to achieve a goal. There was no such thing as unfair in fights. Cheating in fights was just a ridiculous idea.

Instead, Tsuna fired, and Rokudo rushed to dodge the bullet. Tsuna didn't really want to kill him, so he dove in, lighting up the gun with flames, and swinging it at Rokudo's head. Rokudo ducked, and Tsuna fired near the convict, which caused a small, explosive burst of flames. The explosion did send Rokudo stumbling, but he managed to block Tsuna's fiery punch straight away. Tsuna gritted his teeth and swung his rifle at Rokudo. Rokudo bent the trident in order to block it, and Tsuna proceeded to nail him with a kick to the ribcage.

Rokudo took a few steps back, gasping. He smirked up at Tsuna.

"Oh, Tsunayoshi-kun, quite the kick you have there." Tsuna lashed out with another vicious kick, that Rokudo blocked with his trident, before Tsuna used his other foot to kick it. The trident went tumbling out of Rokudo's hand. Rokudo looked up, seeming mildly surprised, before a group of snakes went flying at Tsuna's face.

The smaller teen flew back, batting them away and burning through them, but there were too many to burn instantly and Rokudo had his trident back by then. Tsuna frowned at Rokudo. This wasn't going anywhere; they were locked in a stalemate. And Rokudo knew it. So Tsuna couldn't help but think that Rokudo was planning something.

To avoid that, Tsuna had to do something big first. Something to win.

He had an idea of what he could do; he'd had a short discussion with Xanxus about it. About having an affinity for more than one flame. It was actually very possible; flames came in people in the form of waves, and some people had more than one, some people didn't have one at all. Tsuna could still remember taking that flame test a while ago; he had received Cloud instead of Sky. With input from Squalo and Lussuria, Xanxus had explained that some people had a personality that could end up either way; they had a possibility of personifying either flame. Tsuna, for example, as a Sky flame user, did have incredible potential for every flame. But that would never be safe or easy. On the other hand though, he did have his own wave for Cloud. He could use it without the dangers that came with trying to use other flames through Sky.

Maybe Tsuna could win with Sky flames; he was trying hard. But he didn't want to accidentally kill Rokudo. He didn't have to use Cloud flames entirely to win; just surprise Rokudo and use his best flame to take him down. Tsuna could probably win easily if he could get close. But everytime he got close enough to possibly take Rokudo down, Rokudo kept him back. It seemed that possibly, a little while ago, Rokudo might have underestimated him, which would have allowed Tsuna to win. But obviously, Rokudo had been watching him and Hibari and had known to expect anything.

_I can win. I just need to get close enough._

And a burst of badly controlled Cloud flames might be the trick to do it.

Tsuna flew away from Rokudo for a second, giving him a careful look while he focused on the feeling of Cloud flames. As far as he could tell, the sort of feeling that came with Cloud flames was an irritated, aggressive, determination, that just kept growing. Almost the opposite of Sky flames, a nostalgic, calm, resolve. To be quite honest, Tsuna wasn't good when it came to being aggressive.

But if he didn't do something quick, he was certain Rokudo would find a way to win and Hibari's life would probably be ended because of it.

Tsuna could most certainly get aggressive over his friends.

When he started thinking about the harm Rokudo could bring to Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Hibari, he discovered it was much easier than he thought it would be to use his Cloud flames.

Apparently he couldn't use Cloud flames in Hyper Dying Will mode (probably something to do with the conflicting Sky flames, so HDW mode swiftly ended)), but his hands lit up into Cloud flames. Tsuna barely got to see Rokudo's shocked face before the room exploded into Cloud flames (though Tsuna did make sure to not light up the part of the room Hibari was in to keep him safe.) Producing a lot of flames with Cloud flames was actually a lot easier.

As soon as it did, Tsuna flipped back to Hyper Dying Will mode, and dove into the flames that were beginning to dissipate, going after Rokudo. He knew exactly where Rokudo was, and planned to knock him out. However, when he got close enough, a hand latched around his neck, causing him to make a choking noise. Rokudo's face emerged from the flames, his misty-flamed eye burning brighter than ever. His expression was contorted and he truly looked like a demon.

"Listen up, Vongola scum." He snarled, and threw Tsuna across the room like a ragdoll. Tsuna hit the wall a lot harder than he thought he would, and tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain. Rokudo burst from the flames, and Tsuna watched as the kanji in his eye changed, a dark aura forming around him. "I'm sure you already know about my paths of reincarnation- how I remember all of them throughout all those worlds." Rokudo's mouth twisted into a sadistic smile. "Now let me tell you what this path is. It's my most dangerous, horrible one." He walked closer to Tsuna, twirling his trident in his hands, his dark aura menacing. Tsuna didn't feel the fear though; only an analytical sense of, _oh shit_. He was actually trying to discern a way to beat Rokudo.

"This one is called the Path of the Humans. Bloodthirsty beasts, the lot of you. Disgusting meat creatures on a rock, born to kill and destroy. Which is why this form will be unbeatable." He grinned at Tsuna. "I'm going to shatter your will until you're absolutely nothing, and then I'm going to use you to kill your friends, and let you suffer a long time before I kill you." He gave Tsuna a sweet smile, his eyes almost closing. "Isn't that wonderful?"

XXXX

that's all for now folks!

i'm gonna update in december definitely, probably early december? i'm so sorry about not updating for so long and letting my story get deleted? i didn't even know until i think a month after it happened. but i'm going to try to update more but i'll let you know if i'll be a while

I EXTREMELY LOVE YOU

CIAO!


	25. Chapter 25

hey guys! Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

i am so sorry i didn't get this up earlier but i was a bit more swamped with school than i planned, and i actually did have my chapter finished earlier today, but was being what we in the trade like to call a "lil bitch" and i was physically unable to log in to upload the chapter, and then i didn't have access to the internet for many hours so i couldn't check to see if i was able to.

but i've got it up now, so here you go, my darlings! no song this chapter, just didn't fit in

enjoy!

XXXX

Reborn was proud of Tsuna.

Even though he knew that Tsuna had lied to him, knew that Tsuna was keeping secrets from him, he was so goddamn proud of him and Tsuna wasn't even his student. Watching him fight Rokudo…Reborn knew that Tsuna could win, knew that Tsuna would win. Of course, Reborn had far more experience than Tsuna, so he knew exactly how and with how much ease victory could be assured, but it wasn't Reborn's job to get involved with the fight. He would let the boy figure it out himself- the best information always came from personal experience. Just telling it to Tsuna wouldn't help.

Reborn didn't smile very often; he smirked a lot, but didn't smile. When he thought of how far Tsuna had come from the brave mute boy though, his smirk became a little more of a smile. Not quite a smile, but closer than it had been in a while.

Additionally, Tsuna was handling Hyper Dying Will mode very well for his first time actually employing it consciously in a fight. Maybe it was a little rough around the edges, had far too much room for improvement, and in no way embodied the detached, deadly elegance Reborn had pictured, but it was very Tsuna and being used very well. As always, Reborn knew the improvements he could make, little suggestions that might just turn the fight in Tsuna's favor, but Reborn knew that the singer didn't need his help.

Reborn leaned against the wall, tilting his hat a little more over his eyes. He could still see the fight though. He wasn't worried about anything. Wasn't worried about Hibari, or Yamamoto, or Gokudera, or Tsuna. He knew every aspect of the situation; maybe even parts Tsuna had yet to notice. Like the bombs all around Kokuyo Land. Like the fact that Rokudo most definitely had a back-up plan. It was pretty obvious; Rokudo was the type of guy where if he didn't arrogantly underestimate you, he made sure there was more than one way for him to win. He had not arrogantly underestimated Tsuna. Even though things could go terribly long, Reborn had faith in Tsuna and his growing capability. Things would turn out just fine.

Tsuna was facing down Rokudo's menacing aura, eyes emotionless, but narrowed dangerously. They glowed the same color as his Sky flames. Reborn knew exactly what Tsuna's Hyper Intuition told him; that aura? The dark aura Rokudo was taking so much pride in? Could be purified and destroyed in a second with flames as pure and strong as Tsuna's. It would be substantial against anyone else, practically undeafatable, but flames were determined by the strength of your heart and that was the one place Tsuna had excelled for all his life. And Rokudo was very empty inside. The aura wouldn't be a problem.

Tsuna dove in, attacking with flaming fists. Rokudo batted him back with a powerful trident, before Tsuna put some extra speed into it and got behind Rokudo. He landed a powerful punch to Rokudo's back. The pineapple-haired teen grunted, and stabbed the trident over his head and downwards, making Tsuna jerk back as Rokudo turned, his aura getting stronger than ever. Rokudo swung the trident forward and Tsuna blocked, before ducking under the trident. Rokudo swung the trident around Tsuna's body, slamming it into him and forcing Tsuna to step back. But not before the smaller teen landed a powerful hit to Rokudo's solar plexus. Rokudo took a few steps back, a small choking noise coming from his mouth. Tsuna kicked the handle of the trident, slamming the bar into Rokudo's chest and nearly knocking him off his feet.

Rokudo growled, flipping the trident in his hand in order to throw it at Tsuna. Reborn grinned as he practically saw the idea pass over Tsuna's face. When Rokudo tried to hit Tsuna with it again, his fighting getting faster, stronger, more intense, Tsuna sacrificed a blow to the shoulder in order to get in close and grab one of Rokudo's hands, which was holding the trident lower down. Concentrated flames on his hand caused Rokudo to scream loudly. Rokudo jerked his hand off the trident and brought the trident down on Tsuna, a surge of power coming with his crazy rage. Tsuna moved back in time, but it still managed to scrape him down the chest. The wound was very shallow, in fact. But the blue-haired teen didn't waste time jabbing it forward again. Tsuna dodged to the side, and the trident followed him.

Fiamma Volts were the unit of measure for Dying Will flames; they measured the output. Xanxus had told Tsuna in one of their lessons. It wasn't so much that Tsuna was out of flames, but he simply was not used to such an output. He'd had to step it up a little. So he knew that he needed to end the fight soon, or else he would probably not be able to keep up with Rokudo for much longer. Tsuna was strong, but he wasn't like Hibari. He didn't have the stamina to go all day and then keep going. In the next few minutes, Tsuna needed to put everything he had into it.

Previously, Tsuna had found the trident too strong for him to melt. It would use up too much energy and time and at that point, Rokudo still had plenty of options to win. If Tsuna had taken that course of action, there were not a lot of positive outcomes. However, now, Tsuna realized that this aura was very high-energy. Rokudo was putting everything he had into it, convinced he could win. Once Tsuna destroyed this aura, Rokudo would be too tired to keep up his paths and flames. Tsuna would be too, but then they would be down to hand-to-hand combat and Tsuna had that in the bag. And Tsuna had his knife and guns.

And the only thing that was keeping Tsuna from winning right now was that the trident was in the way.

So it would have to go.

When Rokudo jabbed the trident at him again, Tsuna grabbed it. And with a guttural noise from deep in his throat, he set the trident alight. Rokudo screamed in rage, and a fleeting thought in his mind reminded Tsuna that he didn't have to melt the trident, which would be extremely tiring. Earlier, he had mistakenly assumed that the harmony factor in Sky flames simply turned things to stone. But that wasn't true. It _harmonized_. And with all the wood in this building….

Tsuna had a very good material to harmonize with.

He wasn't quite sure what the trident was made of, but it didn't really matter, since that material would soon be no more.

The trident was quickly turning to wood, and Rokudo let out another yell of anger, clutching the trident angrily. But the end broke, which gave Tsuna some insight into just how angry and strong Rokudo was. With a strike, Tsuna destroyed the trident, and tackled Rokudo, Rokudo's aura disappearing as Tsuna attacked him with his flames. He knocked Rokudo to the floor, face down, and grabbing his arms, twisting them behind his back. As he did, his Hyper Dying Will mode lessened in flame output, but Tsuna refused to drop out. It was only logical. The removing of limiters was pretty rough- Tsuna's body had been trained, so that Hyper Dying Will mode wouldn't take such a toll on him, but he would still be more tired if he dropped out than if he stayed in. He just wouldn't use any more flames.

Rokudo writhed under him, trying to knock Tsuna off.

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST KILL ME ALREADY?!" He screamed. Tsuna just sighed. There would be no reasoning with Rokudo in this state. Reborn bounced over to Tsuna, smirking.

"Good work." Tsuna nodded at him. Even though he was nearly completely emotionless in his Hyper Dying Will mode, he still smiled a little at the compliment

"Thank you." Reborn nodded, and without hesitating, punched Rokudo in the head, effectively knocking him out. Tsuna got off of Rokudo, straightening up. As he did, Reborn held out a phone to him.

"It's Yamamoto." Tsuna nodded and put the phone to his ear.

"Yamamoto?" He asked.

_"Whoa…You sound really different, Tsuna."_

"I know. What's the problem?" Tsuna said in the same monotone. It must have been odd for Yamamoto to hear him in Hyper Dying Will mode for the first time. After all, it was a very different attitude in general.

_"Um,_" Tsuna could imagine Yamamoto blinking his surprise away. _"Thing is, me and Gokudera found more than a few bombs….So I'm pretty sure there are a lot of bombs around Kokuyo Land. Gokudera says that they are set off by a manual switch in some control room somewhere, probably. What do you want to do?"_ Tsuna started to think at a million miles a minute. If Rokudo had planned to set off bombs, that meant he had someone he was sure that they wouldn't find ready to set them off in the case of his defeat. But those bombs had clearly not been set off yet. So that person was too proud to set them off without letting Tsuna know he was going to do it, he was too scared, or he didn't want to sacrifice his own life. If that person was too scared to sacrifice their own life, Rokudo would have known, so he would have had a back-up plan. So Tsuna had two things to worry about; the back-up plan, and the back-up back-up plan.

"What happened with everyone in the Kokyuo Gang?" Tsuna inquired.

_"Uh, we found everyone, I think, and knocked them out. It was just Ken, Chikuse, and some guy though."_ Tsuna nodded, thinking for a second.

"Get out of Kokuyo Land as fast as you can and get as far away as you can. Take the members with you. Call for reinforcements if you need help but get out as fast as you can. Me and Reborn can get Hibari out and we should be able to stop the bombs from going off, but I don't know for sure, so I need you guys out of the building. If they do go off though, I'm pretty sure Reborn and I can take cover and survive."

_"Are you sure about this Tsuna?"_ Yamamoto sounded a little scared. _"You could die."_

"I'm not just saying this to make you feel better. I know that I do have several ways of surviving a blast, even an especially large one. I will most likely survive."

_"Most likely?"_

"It's as good as it gets." Yamamoto snorted.

_"Okay. We'll get everyone out."_

"Get as far away from Kokuyo Land as you can. We don't know how large the blast radius is."

_"Got it. Just be careful Tsuna, okay? Promise me."_

"I promise." Tsuna responded. And he truly meant it. He didn't intend to die, and he didn't intend to let Reborn and Hibari die. "I'll see you soon."

_"See you soon, Tuna." _As soon as Yamamoto hung up, Tsuna went over to check on Hibari. Reborn followed him, and Tsuna blinked at the body.

"You healed him." Not entirely, but Reborn clearly had done some work. Reborn nodded.

"Just enough so that he'd be able to pull through. Hibari is too stubborn to die. I just made sure he wouldn't bleed out." Tsuna nodded, and straightened, scanning the room. There must have been some door to reach the control room. He quickly spotted it. It was the same wood as the rest of the room, so it wasn't very noticeable. And it wouldn't have been that important while he was fighting Rokudo. He walked across the room to reach it, opening the door and peering inside. Reborn bounced over onto his shoulder, also peering in.

_Are you kidding me._

There sat Ieyoshi, sitting at a wall of computers, buttons, and screens, hand above a button, a determined look on his face and a frightened look in his eyes. The button itself was in a square little thing, so that he could walk around with it.

"Well I didn't see this coming." Reborn declared.

Tsuna was finding himself completely unable to be angry at the moment. His current emotion was more of a; _you have got to be kidding me I am so fucking tired of your shit Ieyoshi you are unbelievable and even more of a dick than I thought you were before and I didn't think that was possible._

A lot of exasperation, basically.

"We've won, Dame-Tsuna. It doesn't matter what you can do to me, because you still can't get over here before I push the button." Ieyoshi snarled. He was trying to be aggressive, but Tsuna saw right through him. Ieyoshi was a coward. And he was scared to death. He wouldn't touch that button.

"You're not going to push that button, Ieyoshi." Reborn said, rolling his eyes. Ieyoshi huffed, trying to paint a picture of confidence. "I suggest you put it down before we get angry. You are responsible for a lot of the pain that a lot of people went through, and I don't take kindly to traitors." Ieyoshi shifted something in his other hand, which was behind his back. Tsuna assumed it was a gun.

"You don't know what I'm going to do. I'm not above murder." Ieyoshi growled, glaring at Tsuna in particular. Oh, Tsuna knew that very well. Ieyoshi had tried to kill him even before Tsuna was a major threat to him.

"But you would never commit suicide." Reborn reminded him. Tsuna watched his brother tiredly. He wanted to get angry at his brother, to scream at him, to want to hit him, but he really just couldn't. He couldn't get angry because his brother had been so frightened that Tsuna might become Vongola Boss instead that he sided with an enemy. With someone who would probably wipe Namimori off the map without so much as a second thought. He couldn't get angry at such a pitiful person.

He really did want to be angry at him though. Because of the information that Ieyoshi had given to Rokudo, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Ryohei, Hibari, and the D.C. had suffered. Ieyoshi had hurt Tsuna's friends. But Tsuna just couldn't. Ieyoshi just…..didn't understand. Didn't understand things. He understood pain, anger, and fear alone, and Tsuna found that to be a miserable existence. Ieyoshi moved towards them, thumb poised above the button.

"Move." He ordered Tsuna, getting close to him. Tsuna knew that Ieyoshi would never give up his own life, but he also knew that Ieyoshi was prone to erratic behavior spurred on by anger, and Tsuna didn't want to make him angry and have Ieyoshi hit the button before fully thinking about the consequences. And he most definitely didn't want things getting physical, because given his luck, one of them would probably hit the button by accident. So he stepped aside.

Ieyoshi stormed out into the center of the room, holding his arms out. There was a gun in his other hand.

"I want you to _beg _me not to hit it." Ieyoshi shouted, and Tsuna realized things could go very wrong just as the twisted expression flashed across his face. Ieyoshi had always been kind of a megalomaniac, but Tsuna was afraid that he could have been encouraged by the blue-haired psychopath lying on the floor. An extreme megalomaniac holding a button to set off bombs was not a good thing. Besides, in an extreme case, even though Ieyoshi valued his own life above almost anything else, it was also possible that Ieyoshi might value winning and getting a final sense of gratification more. In a moment of erratic anger, that was probably true. "I WANT YOU TO NEED SOMETHING FROM ME FOR ONCE IN YOUR GODDAMNED LIFE!" Ieyoshi's expression twisted as he screamed at Tsuna. If Tsuna hadn't been in Hyper Dying Will mode, he would have flinched. But he was more capable of holding onto his emotions.

Describing Hyper Dying Will mode as emotionless wasn't correct, though it very much seemed like it sometimes. It just made him…more in control, so that he wasn't as affected by his emotions.

"Iey-kun." Tsuna said softly.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE." Ieyoshi said, taking a step back. "YOU ALWAYS GET EVERYTHING!" He started to rant, holding the hand with the gun up so he could pull on his hair. "DAD'S LOVE, THE TALENT, THE FRIENDS, AND THE VONGOLA BOSS POSITION! AND EVERYTIME YOU JUST ACT LIKE THE VICTIM WHILE YOU TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME!" He spun around, tugging on his hair. "OH, EVERYONE TELLS ME I'M THE BEST. I'M THE BETTER TWIN. UNTIL YOU COME IN, OF COURSE. AND THEN NO ONE SAYS IT, BUT OF COURSE I KNOW THAT THEY THINK YOU'RE BETTER. THAT YOU'RE THE MORE DESERVING ONE. I'M FORGOTTEN IN ALL THE COMMOTION YOU CAUSE AND I'M SO FUCKING SICK OF IT!"

"Iey-kun-," Tsuna tried again, but dropped off at the look on Ieyoshi's face. Ieyoshi let out a small laugh.

"God, it's just so stupid! You don't deserve it! You don't work for it like I do! You don't even want it! And I always want it so badly, but of course, I'm never good enough! I'M JUST THE SAWADA TWIN WITH THE BAD ATTITUDE!" Ieyoshi shrieked. "AND THEN I TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, TRY TO MAKE YOU SEEM LIKE A LOSER TO EVERYONE ELSE, AND THEN YOU'RE PAINTED AS THE GODDAMNED VICTIM THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO SAVE! YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO SAVE YOURSELF!"

Tsuna was simply stunned. He hadn't realized that Ieyoshi hated him this much. And in fact, the way Ieyoshi was putting it, made him want to feel guilty. Ieyoshi made him out to be the villain. But that wasn't how it was. Ieyoshi had a bad attitude, abandonment issues, and a sense of entitlement that made him feel justified in victimizing himself and hurting others. But what Ieyoshi didn't realize was that those were things he felt and had; they weren't _him._ He let his issues and emotions consume him entirely, until there was nothing left but bitter jealousy. Tsuna felt bad that Ieyoshi had felt that their dad had loved Tsuna more than him. To be quite honest, Tsuna had always thought it was the other way around. And he felt bad that Ieyoshi had always felt second best and forgotten. But that still didn't excuse Ieyoshi's actions. Ieyoshi pointed at him.

"_You cannot begin to comprehend how much I hate you._" Ieyoshi hissed. "_You have single handedly destroyed my life and taken away everything I wanted. So now I'm going to take yours. But first I'm going to destroy what you want._" Tsuna's mouth was moving before he could hardly think about what he was saying.

"Well, boo fucking hoo Ieyoshi. Shockingly, everything is not about you." Ieyoshi's eyes widened, before narrowing and letting out a screech of rage.

"_YOU OF ALL PEOPLE DON'T GET TO TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" _Ieyoshi spun around, aimed the gun, cocked it, and fired it at Rokudo. Tsuna understood immediately. It was the whole Estraneo thing. That Tsuna wanted to stop Estraneo and make things right with Rokudo. Tsuna was angry at Rokudo for hurting the people he cared about, but what Tsuna wanted more than anything was to stop that cycle of hurt. And killing Rokudo meant that Tsuna would lose someone else to the Estraneo. To that cycle of hurt.

Tsuna jerked forward, hand lighting up with Dying Will flames. He couldn't let Ieyoshi kill him. But just as he moved, he realized that Rokudo was no longer there. So he hadn't been unconscious. Ieyoshi blinked.

"What the hell?" He demanded angrily. An arm wrapped itself around his throat from behind, causing Ieyoshi to scream and Tsuna to lunge forward. It was Hibari. Or at least it was Hibari's body. The eyes were Rokudo's. The button dropped from Ieyoshi's hands.

"Hello there." Rokudo said, tilting his head to the side and smirking. Ieyoshi's nails tore bloody ribbons on the arm around his throat as he kicked his feet and struggled, gasping for breath. It was actually rather odd; it was Hibari's body, but with Rokudo's mannerisms, it looked nothing like him. Tsuna stared down Rokudo.

"Let him go." Rokudo gave him a curious look.

"Why?" He rolled his eyes. "I really don't understand you Tsunayoshi-kun. Why would you want to save him? He wants to kill you, to destroy your life and your friends. He has tried to kill you. Why would you want me to let him go? I can just kill him right now and simplify everything. And then, if I kill him, you're Vongola Boss and you're too tired to keep me from possessing you. I could leave your friends alone, as most of them are not mafia. You would get what you wanted, I would get what I wanted."

"What you wanted?" Reborn inquired. Rokudo grinned.

"To stand atop the mafia world and tear it down brick by brick." He tapped Ieyoshi's shoulder. "I always knew he was the real candidate to be the Vongola Boss, but you're the one with the power and the friends in high places."

"Friends who wouldn't hesitate to kill me if they believed I wasn't worth the risk." Tsuna responded calmly. Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's shoulder, grinning. "I've got one of those friends sitting on my shoulder right now."

"Aw, you think we're friends. How cute." Reborn said, ruffling Tsuna's hair. "I would characterize our relationship as more of a lord to a serf. But you're right about one thing. I won't hesitate to kill you."

"You are so sweet." Tsuna said sarcastically. He met Rokudo's eyes. "Fine then. If it takes so much effort to _not_ snap his neck or burn him alive, I just don't want to trouble you." Reborn snorted. "I prefer if you don't kill him because he _is_ my brother after all, but in all honesty he is more trouble than family is worth and I'd probably end up having to kill him anyways." Tsuna said in a deadpan, staring flatly at Rokudo and his brother. "This way, at least I don't have to trouble myself later and he can't push the button. So if it's so much easier for the both of us, you should just kill him now. I would be Vongola Boss anyways and you know it so why the hell not. Go crazy. Have fun. Bye, Ieyoshi. I'd like to say it was nice knowing you, except it wasn't." Reborn let out a loud laugh. Ieyoshi stared at Tsuna, mouth open, looking highly offended.

"You're so much funnier when you have trouble connecting with your emotions. Though, everything you said _is_ true. And if you didn't kill Ieyoshi, I probably would." Rokudo raised an eyebrow, but shrugged.

"It's settled then. I'll kill him."

"NO!" Ieyoshi shouted, trying to jerk out of Rokudo's grip, but Rokudo held tightly. Ieyoshi sank his teeth into Rokudo's arm, but Rokudo just smirked and held Ieyoshi tighter. Ieyoshi's face got red as he struggled, shrieking incoherently. "_LET ME GO!"_

"Why? You were planning to double cross me anyways and I already told you what I do to traitors ~" Rokudo ended in a singsong, grinning.

"_GODDAMNIT, LET ME GO OR I SWEAR TO GOD-_,"

"You'll what?" Rokudo inquired. "Kill me? Or will someone else kill me? Because it seems like everyone here has finally agreed on something and it would be tremendously ambitious of the rest of Vongola to kill me if it remains as weak as it is now. Maybe if your brother took over they could kill me, but I plan to kill him before that happens so that ain't gonna happen." Tsuna frowned.

"I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on that matter." Rokudo shrugged.

"I don't negotiate with mafiosos. Sorry."

"_I'll hit the button! I swear!"_ Ieyoshi screamed. He waved his feet, trying to hit the button. Rokudo yanked Ieyoshi back a little, smirking.

"Nice try. But you wouldn't kill yourself anyways."

"YOU WANNA FUCKING BET?!" Ieyoshi slammed his foot into Rokudo's shin, before slamming his head back into Rokudo's face. Rokudo cursed as blood spurted from his nose, his grip loosening ever so slightly, but enough to let Ieyoshi slip away, stumbling, and slam his hand down onto the button. Rokudo's eyes widened, as he lunged towards Ieyoshi, shrieking angrily.

"_YOU FUCKING MORON!"_ Tsuna knew the correct response was most definitely _not_ to sigh, and yet….

There were two small beeps.

Tsuna lunged for Hibari's body, grabbing him, and skidding straight into the corner, with Reborn hanging on.

Everything exploded into fire.

The force of the blast threw them off their feet, slamming them into the wall while wood and flames covered his field of vision. Tsuna heard a loud creaking, right before the floor beneath them broke, and they fell to the floor below, slamming into the grown, hard, with Tsuna, gripping HIbari's body again. Rokudo had left it as soon as soon as the bombs exploded.

Tsuna knew he had been hit with some shrapnel, but he couldn't really feel it at the moment. There was a ringing and a roaring in his ears, but he could hear shouting. He wasn't sure who it was from though, since the ringing was so loud. Tsuna put his hands together and slammed them onto the ground, Sky flames exploding outward to create a protective shell around them. It wasn't _that _good but it still protected them partially. He screamed as the fire burned through the cloth on his back and burned his skin. Or at least he thought he had screamed. He couldn't really feel it. He blinked, all the bright fire making it hard to see. He was so disoriented, unable to hear or see properly and the smell of burning objects and flesh was almost overwhelming.

He could hear creaks and slams of wood though as different parts of the building fell apart. Beams crashed down, floors caved in. Tsuna was already sore from where they'd fallen. Sparks flew everytime something crashed.

Tsuna needed to concentrate, he needed to think. He needed to get the strength of his shield up, it wasn't good enough. He could still feel the fire on his back, whether or not it was still there or not and the heat was almost overwhelming. He especially needed to protect Hibari's already battered body. But he couldn't stop thinking about everyone else. What about Gokudera and Yamamoto, had they gotten out? What about Ieyoshi? What about Rokudo? What if there were other people in the beginning? Oh God.

_Rationalize, rationalize, rationalize._

Why wasn't he being rational enough? His thought process felt…different from what it was before?

When the thought hit him, he wanted to scream.

_He wasn't keeping his Hyper Dying Will Mode up._

Well, obviously. He was having to keep up a shield to begin with, it was too much strain and concentration, considering he had already been close to slipping out of his Hyper Dying Will Mode.

"Goddamnit." He muttered.

_Rationalize, rationalize, rationalize. Try not to panic, _he told himself. _It'll be harder to keep it together._

_Reborn will be fine. I'm protecting Hibari. I'll be mostly fine. I told Gokudera and Yamamoto to get out a while ago, and they already should have been out. These bombs seem like a lot of fire. Considering the general structure of the building seems to still be holding together, the blast radius is probably not _that _large_. _They should be mostly okay, if not completely safe. Rokudo probably went up to get his body from wherever he left it to keep it safe. For a guy that can just live in different bodies, he's pretty vain. I don't think he would leave his body behind. He likes it too much. Ieyoshi…._

Tsuna cringed and shut his eyes, shaking his head. He really didn't want to think about it.

_But Ieyoshi's dead. Probably burnt in seconds, if not crushed. That room was falling apart pretty quickly. Maybe he survived when the floor fell, but this entire building is fiery and he doesn't have me to protect him. Chances of him being alive are slim, since he probably never planned to push that button. He had no back-up plan and he certainly didn't have anything like a back-up plan for his back-up plan. No one would have saved him. It's better if I start operating under the assumption that he's dead, unless I have some proof otherwise._

It was final. It was simple. It was probably what Tsuna's bastard of a twin brother deserved.

It was still terrible and it was still tragic.

Despire everything that asshole had put him through, Tsuna still wanted his brother to live.

_But I can't go and try to save him. He's probably already dead and I have people to protect. People that are worth more than him._

It was such a strange, alien thought. The notion had passed across his mind many times before, but he had never really put it into words. That he had created a family worth more than his first one. But it was true. Hibari mattered significantly more than Ieyoshi. Hibari came first.

Tsuna coughed, hard. There was too much heat and smoke.

"_TSUNA! FOCUS!"_ He heard a very distinctive voice in his ear. Reborn. "_FIX YOUR SHIELD OR WE DIE!"_

"_I CAN'T-,_" Tsuna broke off coughing. Goddamnit. He couldn't fix his shield. He didn't have enough power left and he was slowly but surely slipping out of Hyper Dying Will Mode. He just didn't have the energy to keep it up. Had this been Rokudo's plan all along? Had he known he would be defeated, but at too great a cost to Tsuna? So that Tsuna wouldn't be able to survive this?

Tsuna resisted the urge to bang his head against the ground. He didn't need to be thinking about this right then. He needed to be strengthening the shield. Reborn was right. He needed to find a way.

_Or…._

Could he get Hibari out of the building? If he could get Hibari safely out of the building, Tsuna was at the point of making a mad dash for the exit.

Maybe…

Tsuna twisted his head to glance at Reborn.

_"Can you get Hibari out?! Safely?" _Reborn shook his head. GODDAMNIT. Tsuna needed a better plan. Tsuna raked a hand through his hair.

_I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND I DON'T WANT TO DIE HERE! _

"Please no." He whispered to himself. He coughed again, and felt himself finally fall out of Hyper Dying Will Mode. _NO NO NO NO NO._

He struggled, trying to shove the rest of his energy towards remaining in HDW Mode, but it wasn't enough. He was too tired, and too untrained still. He'd worked so hard, and it was still not enough, because Rokudo Mukuro was a clever bastard and he'd thought far beyond what Tsuna had. Tsuna would have liked to believe he could have handled this, that he'd done a good job, but he'd charged in with no plan whatsoever and this was his downfall.

An overwhelming feeling of fatigue was infiltrating every part of his body. He struggled to keep his head up, exhausted beyond belief. And then came the pain.

Sharp, stinging pains in all his joints and a dull throbbing everywhere else in his body. Tsuna bit his lip, to stifle a cry of pain.

_I'm such an idiot. I'm such a goddamn idiot and now Hibari and Reborn are going to die because of my stupid mistakes. _

He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, but all he could do was collapse to the ground, no longer able to keep himself up, and flick his eyes upwards as the shield dissipated and swirling fire descended down on them. He could vaguely hear Reborn yelling in his ear, but he shut his eyes before he had to watch himself get burned.

XXXX

Reborn could have laughed out of relief. Things had a funny way of working themselves out. Especially for Vongola. He crossed his arms, satisfied, as he looked at the shell of ice around them.

Every single flame that had threatened Tsuna and Hibari in the immediate vicinity (i.e. a four foot radius) was now completely frozen, leaving the two of them mostly unburnt. Hibari had seemed a bit singed, of course, and Tsuna was definitely going to need some major medical attention for some of his burns, but he was mostly okay. He wasn't going to die.

Zero Point Breakthrough. It was the perfect defense. Created from Dying Will Flames and could only be melted _by_ Dying Will Flames. The fire outside could no longer get to them. Reborn grinned at Tsuna. Threatened, collapsing, and terrified, something in him had clicked and defended him. There had been just enough Hyper Dying Will and Hyper Intuition left in the kid to pull it off. It was a massive deus ex machine, but hey, Reborn wasn't going to complain. He'd actually been afraid for a moment. Not of his own death; he'd known he could survive. But he had been afraid that his student was going to burn. He had watched so many of his students die in the very long time he'd been alive and he hadn't wanted to see death take another.

He sighed, glancing back down at Tsuna again.

_Phone would be in the pocket._

He reached down and pulled the phone out of Tsuna's pocket, before dialing Kusakabe. Kusakabe could get the fire department here quickly and they would be out of here in less than an hour. The phone only rang a few times before it was picked up and Yamamoto's hurried voice came on.

_"TSUNA ARE YOU ALRIGHT? WE SAW THE BUILDING EXPLODE AND WE'RE GETTING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THERE RIGHT NOW JUST HOLD ON, WE'LL GET YOU OUT-,_"

_"Yamamoto-san, please stop shouting."_ Kusakabe came on calmly, before asking in a concerned tone, _"Are you three alright?"_

"Don't worry, we're fine. We're protected, in a way, but I recommend you get the fire out quickly."

_"Got it."_ Kusakabe responded. _"They're on their way."_

XXXX

so, how'd you like it?

yeah, we're going to find out what exactly happened to Rokudo and Ieyoshi, i won't say if Ieyoshi is dead or not, but just keep in mind that he might be. expect anything.

i'm hoping to get the next chapter up soon but seeing as i haven't written any part of it yet it might be a while

merry christmas/ happy holidays!

I EXTREMELY LOVE YOU!

CIAO!


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